Rise of the Sith Lords: Genoharadan Wrath
by Aquerus
Summary: [Sequel to A Prelude to Darkness] Kradok has finally been taken in by the Jedi Order for training. However, with the Genoharadan's threat and Li'Rinna's warning still looming over him he decides he must act on his own and stop the assassin group on his own, but he finds quickly that the enemies web is more complex than he ever imagined.
1. The Truth Not Told

(Prelude)

I sat in the council chambers on Tython, for the last month we had been going over the recordings taken by my ships security feed, and that of my droid 3C-FD, I had been forced to watch everything that had occurred during the past few years of my journey to stop the Genohardan and the New Sith Order from purging the galaxy of the Jedi and the Purebloods, a few things I didn't know about, but wish I had. I looked at the group of Masters overseeing my Trial, Satele who was never my biggest fan, Masters Schria and Shi'ka, probably the only two Jedi Masters who had ever really believed in me, Master Tol Braga who blamed me for the failings of his Padawan, and others from both The Academy Sect. and the main Jedi Order, looking down on me, judging me, when I had done nothing wrong, I watched as the final piece of recorded evidence began to play on the Holoterminal, I watched as the Voss entered my room on my ship, I just sat there on the bed looking defeated, even though I had just won, I watched as I heard the last words I ever spoke to the sole remaining member of my crew, I couldn't hear the first part of the conversation, I still couldn't believe it had come to this, "And do you?... Have something you want to say?" were the first words I heard.

"I can only understand your behavior today as a response to a history of pain," the Voss said standing in my room, acting like I was to blame, "and I hope you won't try to justify it."

I leaned back in my chair as tears began to well up in my eyes, I remembered all too well how this all began, and try as I might to put it out of my mind, I couldn't help but remember…

**Rise of the Sith Lords**

**Chapter One**

**Genoharadan Wrath**

(_The Truth Not Told_)

_It has only been a few weeks since I began training under Master Teradid, I have spent most of my time on Tython, and when I'm not with my Master, Rarsk and I scour the Jedi archives searching for any reference to the Lord of Hunger and his mask, but we have been unable to find anything. I asked Master Teradid if he'd ever heard of a Lord of Hunger, I skirted around most of details and only made a vague mention of a Chiss telling me about a mask, I didn't want to nor did tell him about the Genoharadan for fear he might reconsider taking me on as his Padawan. Rarsk tells me I'm being irrational, but being hunted by the most notorious group of assassins is not something I'm going to take lightly. My Master has told me he will look into the restricted files of the archives, but what if that turns up nothing… what if he doesn't tell me everything, I don't tell him everything… We've already talked about trust, and I do trust him, I just don't trust myself, I know my Master doesn't believe I've told him everything, I've got to become a better liar. I wish Areeva was here, she'd know what to do, but Master Braga took her on as his Padawan and then they went off to Corellia to join the war effort. I have no other choice, I have to slice the archives, so I holocalled Areeva and she set up a meeting with an expert slicer, Hal Ordoo, she met on some backwater planet; we've set up a meeting on the Upper Ring of Carrick Station to discuss…_

I shut off my Holorecorder as the green Rodian Hal Ordoo came into view, he came over slowly and sat down in the chair across from me. Rarsk lingered not far off from the cantina to watch our meeting, making sure nothing went wrong, "I hope you have my Credits," he said.

"Five thousand… All the money I have in the world," the money wasn't mine, I received a small portion of Master Denai's savings, it was blood money, and I wanted to be rid of it, "Now explain this to me, how are you supposed to slice into the Jedi archives from the Republic fleet?" I was skeptical to say the least.

"Jedi," the Rodian scoffed, "No imagination. All the ships in the vicinity of this Station are linked through a central hub, creating a potentially enormous computer network, I could hack into a Hutt bank account on Nar Shaddaa from here and they'd never trace it all the way back," Hal kicked his feet up on the table, putting his hands behind his head, calm eased from him in waves.

"Fine, let's test your system," I said mockingly, I didn't like this guy, " I need you to find me anything about or pertaining to a lord of hunger, and his mask, hidden in the Jedi archives," I didn't think he could do it.

"Watch," Hal said squinting his already beady eyes, he rose slowly and strolled over to the Galactic Network Hub and began typing furious at the terminal, I rose slowly and made my way over, doing my best to make it look like our business was unrelated, "Learn."

"Aren't you worried someone is going to see us," I was looking around making sure no one was looking our direction.

"That's why I chose the Upper Ring, look around, everyone here is involved in shady dealing, there isn't anything legitimate happening, so they won't squeal on us unless they want us to squeal on them, unspoken blackmail," the way Hal talked it sounded like he more than enjoyed the prospect, "We're in," he said with quiet excitement, and he began to work feverishly on the terminal, "You're Jedi council is good, they already know someone's in there system, I have to find that file quickly…" sweat was beading off of Hal's head, I was beginning to have second thoughts about this, "Dammit!" he hit the terminal.

"You didn't find what I was looking for I take it," I was a little taken aback by the sarcastic apathy of my tone.

"No I saw you're file, but your Jedi shut down the archives before I could even download any useful information," I sighed, I figured I should probably just wait until Master Teradid found something, "But this job may not be a total wash," Hal smirked over at me.

"What?" I looked at the terminal and I could see a very partial part of a semi-decrypted file, the parts that were readable made a very brief reference to Telos IV and something about a ship called the Ravager. I remembered when I was exploring the archives finding a mention of a Jedi enclave on the Telos orbital station, it wasn't much but I had a lead, "You've been most helpful Hal, you're excused." I said abruptly.

"What no thank you," Hal said mockingly but I gave him a look that said rather unpleasantly, go away, and he backed up slowly, "Alright man, don't ever call me to help you again," and with that Hal was gone, he disappeared off into the crowd over by the cantina, Rarsk came over and stood beside me, "Found something?" he gargled.

"Yes, we're going to Telos IV," I began to make my way to the elevator with Rarsk on my heels, I had to make it to the Transport shuttles and hope one was on its way to Telos, as we arrived on the bottom level we began to make our way through the crowd, I turned the corner to go down to the shuttles when I saw my master and Grand Master Schria Davan approaching me, did they know I'd broken into the archives, were they coming to tell me they no longer thought I was fit be a Jedi, the rational part of my brain took over and told me that this was a seriously ill-timed coincidence, so I bowed before bow of them attempting to show the utmost respect.

"Padawan Kaeyd it is very good to see you," Master Teradid smiled at me and erased completely my suspicions they knew what I was up to.

"It is very good to see you too Master," I calmly replied.

"What a coincidence, it is very fortuitous that we ran into you," Schria said, tranquility came off of her in waves.

I looked over at her and lightly smiled, "Very."

"Indeed," Master Shi'ka began, "Kradok I will be going with Master Davan to Voss and I may be out of contact… I thought I should inform you," he paused and his face took on a slightly more seriously demeanor, "Also, I have been doing some research into on that topic you told me about… when I get back we will have to meet and talk about it."

Immediately I was nervous again, I looked around out of reflex to ensure no one was watching, then I returned their gaze and falsely smiled, "I have been doing some research myself and I'll be going Telos for a few days to follow a lead… if you don't mind," I tacked on at the end for good measure.

Shi'ka just nodded, "Very well, I wish you the best of luck."

I bowed once more before Master Davan, "Always a pleasure, I'll see the two of you when I get back."

"Padawan Kaeyd," Schria said her tone becoming more solemn, I became worried that she did indeed know what I was up to, "I never got the chance to tell you how sorry I was about Master Denai," My heart was suddenly full of sadness, my fears all but forgotten, "I'm only bringing it up now because I have been left in charge of her personal effects and I'd think she'd want you to have this…" Schria handed me a ship ID transmitter and a Carrick Station security card, she was giving me master Denai's ship, "You'll find it in Hanger Bay four, Good luck on your journey," she smiled as she and Shi'ka began to leave.

"Thank you, Master Davan," I replied with the utmost gratitude, "I shouldn't be doing anything dangerous, just some information hunting, good luck to you as well."

Master divan turned around, "Thank you," and with that she and Master Teradid left to go to her ship on their flight to Voss.

"What Now?" Rarsk gargled placing his hand on my shoulder.

I smirked, "We make our way down to hanger bay four, we've got a ship to catch after all," and with that we were off. It was going to be so much easier sneaking around the galaxy trying to dig up information about the Lord of Hunger and the Genoharadan now that we had ship, and I was confident that someday, some way, somehow, we were going to get out of this mess.


	2. Trap on Telos IV

(_Trap on Telos IV_)

We arrived at the Telos Orbital a standard day after departing from Carrick Station. The entire place was crowded and packed with illegal activity, kind of like a miniature Nar Shaddaa. We made our way through the metallic maze that in a way also resembled Coruscant. We stepped off the docks and onto the entertainment module. The Telos Orbital Station was comprised of several Stations all with their own unique purpose, the had individual stations for housing and business, transportation, entertainment, confinement, and pretty much anything that they felt needed its own category. I stopped outside a window and looked out at the beauty of Telos, it had been one of the planets, like Taris, that Darth Malak had destroyed in the Jedi Civil War centuries ago. I was glad to see that this planet had been almost completely healed from that attack.

"Rarsk think Kradok should have told Master truth," Rarsk startled me out of my reverie as he came up on my right side.

"Do you think I like sneaking like this," I challenged, I knew Rarsk thought this was unnecessary but this was the first time he'd spoken so openly, "If I could tell Master Teradid I would, but I can't," because I was afraid.

"Dwoo beep breet beep," 3C-FD chimed in as he whizzed along to my left side, he was an orange astromech droid that had been waiting for me on Master Denai's ship, he was one of those really likeable childlike droids and apparently he was a few centuries old, Master Denai had salvaged him from some Jawa's on Tatooine and restored him to prime condition.

"Rarsk agree with droid, Kradok, this fear all in your head," he gargled.

"Look! I am in fear for my life," I turned my back to the glass and raised my voice just enough so that they'd know how serious I was but not enough so passersby could overhear, "I am neophyte Padawan that is already being hunted by one of the most elite assassin organizations in the galaxy, so you'll excuse me if I'm not exactly being rational," I looked back out the window and sighed sadly, "I have to fix this myself, that's the only way I know how."

"I not mean to upset," Rarsk put his hand on my shoulder, "Rarsk follow you to the end, and back," I smiled at his little add on right there.

"Beeeep breeet beep beeeep," 3C-FD reminded me I needed to learn astromech.

"Thanks guys," I said calmly, "Threecee can you go back and monitor the ship, I'd like an alert should anything go wrong," I wanted to air on the side of caution, after all I was being hunted.

"Dwoooo beep," 3C turned and rolled on his merry way.

"Now we've got an enclave to find," I was determined to find out as much as I could about this Lord of Hunger as I possibly could.

"I follow," and with that we were on our way.

We found the small Jedi-Enclave at the opposite end of the Cantina, it looked to be have previously been a merchant headquarters that had largely expanded, a red carpet coated the floor and a fountain had been placed in the middle of the room, on the shelves appeared to be a smaller version of the archives with Telos specific information, and there appeared to be a meditation alter at the back of the room, a young woman with tan-ish skin, what looked like custom designed robes that must have cost a small fortune, light makeup enough to highlight her face, rock solid matching heels that also looked very expensive, and carefully braided hair came up to me, "Can I help you?"

"Maybe," I looked the room up and down, "I'm looking for information on a Sith Ship, the Ravager."

The smile on her face went away and it was replaced with a frown and furrowed brows, "And why would you want to know about that?"

"My business is my own," I wasn't about to put up with the third degree from this upstart.

"Not really," she said with a quiet fury, "Not when the only knowledge of the Ravager is restricted. So tell me, are you the one who hacked the archives on Tython," this woman was accusing, I hadn't expected this so quickly after the incident, but I decided I had better get accustomed to dealing with it.

"I don't like you tone," I matched her quiet intensity with a rage of my own, "I was granted special access," I lied.

"Like they would let someone who isn't supposed to be a Jedi anywhere near confidential files," she laughed at me to my face, I felt my face turning red even though I was still in shock, "that's right I know who you are Kradok, I knew the moment you walked in," she spat.

"You act pretty superior for a girl who spends a fortune on shoes," I said carefully looking up and down at her wardrobe, I suspected she'd been tapping into the council's funds, "How did you ever afford, anything you're wearing?" it was my turn to hurl accusations.

She struck me across the face "Get out, or I'll have you thrown out," she spat.

Rarsk stepped in between me and the upstart, "Jedi female should hold her tongue."

She glared dismissively at Rarsk, "And take your pet with you, he's an eyesore," she smiled with superiority as she turned to walk away.

"Jedi female will show respect!," Rarsk lost his temper and began to follow her I grabbed his arm and he almost dragged me along with him.

"Cool it Rarsk," I tugged at his arm and cast a glance over to our less than friendly welcoming committee and reassured her, "we're leaving."

"Ah don't leave yet," I recognized the alien voice and slowly turned around to see Hal Ordoo, the slicer who got me the lead that led me here, "it would spoil my surprise."

"Hal!? What're you doing here," I had a bad feeling about this.

"Didn't I mention it," he said as he pulled his blaster pistols out of their holsters and as two assault droids stepped in behind him, "In addition to being the best slicer in the galaxy, I'm also a freelance assassin for the Genoharadan."

"Kradok stay behind Rarsk," Rarsk moved instinctively in front of me and drew his saberstaff, ready to defend me with his life.

"The Genoharadan! What do they want with you?," I heard her voice echo out behind us, and felt her draw her lightsaber as I drew mine.

"It's a pity you had to involve others, they die too!" Hal shouted, as he pulled his blasters up and unleashed an assault of rapid fire.

Rarsk began to twirl his saberstaff rapidly in a circle deflecting all of the blaster bolts, as his assault droids leapt at me and the upstart, we fought together silently, as we deflected their punches and blasters shots with our lightsabers, Rarsk slowly inched his way closer to Hal, that's when one of the assault droids grabbed the upstart and held her hands behind her back and the other grabbed Rarsk and pinned his hands too. Hal laughed as he started shooting at me, I ran in a large circle around the room blasters bolts burying themselves in the walls less than inches behind me, Hal switched it up and started firing in front of me, I fell to the ground to avoid being hit, "Sayonara, Zabrak!" Hal laughed as he prepared to shoot me. Rarsk had one of his bursts of force strength and broke the assault droids arms off to telekinetically throw Hal into the wall, Hal dropped his blasters on impact and I noticed a small coin fall from his pocket and begin to roll across the floor, I used the force to twist the direction of the coin so it rolled straight into my hand, at that point the TSF security forces came busting in and shot Hal with an electric dart.

Hal was on his knees holding his right arm he looked immobilized, little waves of electricity jumping like lightning bolts across his skin making a sickening crackling sound, "Was not expecting Trandoshan having force-powers," the TSF security forces pulled him to his feet and proceeded to drag him from the room, "I'll be prepared next time."

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say…" the officer's voice faded as he and Hal left the enclave, as another officer approached the upstart, "Miss are you and your friends alright?"

"We'll be fine, thank you," I didn't think her voice could sound as sweet and gentle as it did at that moment.

I dusted off my robes and walked over to Rarsk, faux-concern in my eyes I knew my Trandoshan ally could handle himself, "Rarsk I'll need you to get this to threecee, have him analyze it," I said as I slipped the coin into the palm of Rarsk's claw.

He nodded without a word, "As you command," he left without another word, I turned around and noticed the TSF had gone too.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted before," she said looking down at the ground, I could tell she regretted what she'd said, and to be honest I probably shouldn't have said a few of the things I did either, "My Master tells me I need to control my emotions, sometimes they get the better of me."

"It's not your fault you had every right to be upset," I wasn't sure I believed that but I felt it was the right thing to say.

"So you wanna tell me why the Genoharadan is hunting you," She looked straight into my eyes with all the intensity from our earlier argument only without the misplaced anger, I remained silent, "right of course not," she turned away, hurt but she looked back just as determined as ever and with a knowing glint in her eyes, "but I'll guess it has something to do with the Ravager."

"You'd guess right," there was no point in denying it.

"I thought as much," she looked lost in thought, "I can't give you any files pertaining to the Ravager," I sighed with disappointment, I thought we we're finally getting somewhere, "But I can take there."

"You'd do that for me," I couldn't hide my surprise, finally I was getting somewhere!

"We're Jedi, we're supposed to help each other not cut each other down," she stopped and got a funny little expression on her face, she was obviously remembering our earlier conversation, so she gave me an awkward smile, "I forget that sometimes, I know you're not giving up, and what kind of Jedi would I be if I let you go alone," and that's when she offered me her hand in friendship, "I'm Cha'risma."

We shook on it, soon we'd be off to find the Ravager and I'd be one step closer to finding out who this lord of Hunger had been and why his mask was so important, and more importantly what any of this had to do with me, that's when I heard Rarsk gargle in the doorway, "Great. Traveling with another Schutta…" he turned and walked back out, he must have sprinted back to the ship to give Threecee that coin, Cha'risma and I exchanged a glance and simultaneously snickered, quietly.


	3. Ravager Wreckage

(_Ravager Wreckage_)

Our shuttle touched down a few kilometers away from the remains of the Sith Warship Ravager, the earth was still scorched black as if the crash had happened only a day or two ago. A terrible dark energy seemed to reach out and wrap around my heart, like it was drawing me in toward it to be devoured. The ship itself was in several chunks, small large and others relatively small, we saw one large and rather destroyed section that we deduced must have at one point been the bridge and aft section and decided that, that was the most ideal place to being our search.

"The place feels cursed," I hadn't been inside for more than a minute and already I was leaning against the walls for support, the place seemed to be draining the life from me.

"That's why no one comes here," Rarsk pulled me to my feet as Cha'risma forged what seemed to be a force bubble around the three of us, immediately I felt better and was able to stand, but already I could see a kind of darkness draining the force from around us, "Everyone who has, has disappeared consumed by what my Master calls a force echo, a dark side wound in the force that devours any living force it comes into contact with."

"It is just so," I was at a loss for words, "dead."

"We are investigating the remnants of a Sith Warship," she started in on me, I could already here the sarcastic comment coming, "were you expecting flowers."

"She finds herself humorous," Rarsk gargled angrily, Cha'risma returned Rarsk's stare with an icy one of her own and replied coldly, "No one asked you scales."

"Can we save the witty banter portion of this for trip later;" I stepped in between them because I was certain they were going to come to blows in a matter of seconds, "I'd like to get this over with."

"Fine," the ice queen answered, she looked away to hide what I was sure had to be fear, "I can't hold this force field up for very long, so if we're going to find anything we need to do it quickly."

We began a very quick search of the bridge, moving as fast as we could without putting any unnecessary strain, I could tell Cha'risma was under a lot of pressure, she later explained to me that holding that force field up inside the ravager was like being in an intense lightsaber fight that she was on the losing end of. The ship seemed to have been stripped completely bare of anything even remotely useful, which was odd considering the ship hadn't been visited in the last three hundred years, eventually we made it to the bridge, where a dark purple stain spread across the floor, the dark side seemed to pour out from it, Cha'risma collapsed as we came into its vicinity, and we knew that this was the source of the wound, and we knew we should get out of there soon.

"Nothing of importance is here," Rarsk drew his saberstaff and stepped in front of us, It was like he sensed something was coming, something worse that what was already here.

"Scales is right," as Cha'risma began to speak I noticed a series of terminals down in the crevices that ran along the sides of the bridge, terminals, and there were faint lights coming off of them, "scavengers took this place apart long ago."

"Hey Char," I jumped down and blew the dust off of one of the terminals, the controls were outdated, but I knew I could figure out how to work them, "can you help me with this."

Cha'risma jumped down with Rarsk right behind her, "What is it?"

"I think it's an old security system;" I managed to get the terminal to function and after a little experimenting with the controls I figured out how to access the security feed, and after that it was only a matter of playing things in reverse to find out what happened, "I'm going to play the last thing recorded before it was shut down."

The first several minutes of the recording contained absolutely nothing, so I managed fast forward until we noticed a group of women dressed in all white combat suits with hoods, the all looked identical to each other, there was no audio so we had no idea what they were saying, they took what I guessed was the lord of Hunger's mask off the floor of the bridge and left, a moment after they left a force ghost emerged from the ground where the mask had been , it was enraged and furious it began to follow them out, after the ghost left the wound opened up on the floor and the dark energy was unleashed. Suddenly his face appeared on the screen in front of us, he most the most terrifying apparition, and the only apparition I'd ever seen, he seemed to be looking into my soul, he seemed to emerge from the screen and come toward me, I started to back away.

"I've read about an order of women who could not feel the force, the… handmaidens I think," Cha'risma started talking like there was nothing there, I looked at her for a split second and when I looked back the ghost was gone, "apparently they served a Jedi Historian during the Jedi civil war, I know that they resided on Telos for a time."

"Well we know that they took the Mask all we have to do is find it," I was trying to shake off the vibe that my hallucination had given me, but more and more I was sure of one thing, I should never have come here.

"I can scrounge around in our archives, limited as they may be, and see what I can dig up," Ch'risma was completely lost in thought unaware that I was practically flipping my lid.

"Not alone," I regained my composure long enough to pretend to lose my composure at what Rarsk had just said and pretend that's what my fear was about.

"What is that?" I said looking at the security it looked like a sleek puffy beast with a humanoid construction, it was purple, had one eye in the center of its head, spikey teeth, it seemed to adorn some type of loosely constructed body armor, the type usually only worn by wookies, and was headed toward the wreckage of the ship.

"It's a Rakghoul, a monstrosity that originated on Taris hundreds of years ago," Cha'risma's tone suggested that she thought I was an illiterate kowakian monkey lizard, something should would actually end up calling me on another occasion, " don't you know anything?"

"What's it doing here?" I was trying to not smack her upside the head.

"How am I supposed to know?" she said returning her gaze to the screen.

"Don't you know anything?" I merely mouthed the words behind her, putting my hand in the air and gyrating like I thought she would, simply put, I was mocking her.

Cha'risma turned sharply around, "I heard that."

"Beast heard as well," Rarsk's saberstaff was at the ready to defend us.

"Is it staring into the camera?" the beast seemed to be looking through the lens back at us, it opened its mouth to show us its teeth

"These beasts aren't supposed to be intelligent!" Cha'risma appeared at a loss for words, the three of us just kind of stared blankly at each other for a split second, I was the first one to return my gaze to the screen.

"Where'd it go?" the Rakghoul was gone.

"Run!," Cha'risma shouted as she and Rarsk scrambled back onto the bridge and began to run toward the broken port to escape, I began to feverishly work at the terminal making sure I deleted all of the surveillance footage.

"What're you doing?," She and Rarsk had stopped and turned around to see me still typing at the terminal, and they were on their way back.

"It came here to find the Mask;" of this I was certain, no one ever came here, and all of sudden a Rakghoul that was smarter than normal came here to site see, I wasn't buying it, and I was going to keep it away from its goal, "I'm going to make sure it doesn't."

All I heard was a faint growling as the creature dropped in from behind me, The Rakghoul swung its claws at me, I dropped down to avoid them as it slashed the terminal electrocuting itself. The creature then used the force to throw me across the room, but before he could leap after me, Rarsk swung his saberstaff over knocking the creature back and then called his weapon back with the force, he was starting to get pretty good.

"Be careful, it's a Nekghoul, a Rakghoul that can use the force, if it claws or bites you you'll be infected," Cha'risma said as she fell to her knees, the strain of keeping us all under the force field was getting to her, I had to get us out of here fast. Rarsk was battling the Nekghoul blocking its swings with his saberstaff, which gave me some time to examine the room, I noticed that on both sides of the bridge there were generators, they must have been powering the terminals, I had an idea, "Rarsk!" I shouted at him, "Get on the other side," instantly Rarsk ran to the other side of the bridge, the Nekghoul began to follow but I force pushed him into the generator. The ensuing explosion blew apart the roof of the bridge and Rarsk, Cha'risma and I went flying through the air, fortunately, Cha'risma's force field protected us from the raining debris, we still landing pretty hard on our back though.

"Next time," Cha'risma said as she sat up rubbing the soot off of her face, "Let me come up with the plan."

"We're alive aren't we?" I laughed.

"It's a good thing I put on my work clothes before we came," for whatever reason she was back to her take no prisoners, queen of the Jedi, haughty attitude.

"Yeah, well, Jedi are supposed to do more than stand around look pretty," I tried to lighten the mood.

"Ha-ha Very funny," she tried to remain angry but I could see a glint in her eyes that showed me she was back in a somewhat better mood, "now let's get back to the enclave so I freshen up, then we'll find out where your mystery women went with that mask," and with that she began to walk away.

"Jedi lady have crazy eyes," Rarsk shook his head and got up to follow her, I smirked and stood up to begin our trek back to the shuttle, but I suddenly felt like a cold hand had reached out and grabbed my heart, I turned back to see the force-ghost of the dead Sith lord staring at me from the stain on what remained of the bridge, I couldn't pull my eyes away from him, I felt something inside me draw to him and it took all I had not to follow the urge to walk back to the bridge, the dark lord began to float seamlessly toward me and before I knew it his ghost was literally on top of me, the black cape wrapping around my back as he placed his hands on my face, he leaned in as if to drain the life force out of me.

"Kradok," Rarsk said behind me snapping me out of the nightmare, "is okay?" I could hear the concern in his voice, I must have looked something truly affright, I turned and smiled to him nonchalantly.

"Yeah, just thinking," and with that I began to walk with him back toward the shuttle, I turned around to give one last glance to see the dark lord standing on the bridge, I blinked and he was gone, was I losing my mind?


	4. The Forgotten Academy

(_The Forgotten Academy_)

Cha'risma had been doing research for almost two weeks before she found information on the handmaiden's, in the meantime Cha'risma's master Kobu returned to Telos from his missions on Naboo, Kobu was the Jedi who found me on Iridonia, at first he was ecstatic to see me, but gradually he realized his apprentice and I were hiding something from him and he began poking around into our research and started making inquiries about recent events, Cha'risma, Rarsk, and I had to act fast so while Kobu was out 'checking' into our activities Cha'risma sliced his private files and discovered that at the end of the Jedi Civil War over here hundred years ago there was a Jedi academy hidden in Telos IV's polar region, the exact location was unknown but there was an image in the file and Cha'risma was able to locate where the image was taken from doing some creative slicing into the Telos High Council's files and records dating back three hundred and fifty years, then the three of us 'charted' a shuttle and launched off leaving our destination out of the flight logs and piloting and having Cha'risma pilot the ship manually, to cover our tracks, we touched down onto the empty mesa three hour after departure.

The three of us stared out across the snow-capped terrain, snow stretched out as far as our eyes could see, we looked on for a while before Cha'risma's voice broke the silence, "Well… there it is. Nothing."

"Careful, your cynicism's showing," we had begun to explore the ice-capped plate and laughing off her negativity seemed like a good idea.

"Should leave Schutta on ship…" Rarsk said as he explored the deeper sections of the snow drifts, he knew he was the only one who wouldn't freeze to death.

"Kradok, muzzle your beast," Cha'risma had begun to reach out with the force scanning the snow to see if she could sense anything.

"…This is going to be a fun trip," I rolled my eyes.

Rarsk and Cha'risma stopped, they seemed to have both been overcome by a cold chill, and it wasn't the snow that had disturbed them, Rarsk was the first to speak, "I sense… darkness"

Cha'risma and I channeled our force together to clear the snow out from in front of Rarsk, low and behold there was a sealed elevator shaft that looked like the top of had been destroyed centuries ago in order to hide it. Char and I pulled out our lightsabers and used the like a can opener to slice the lid off, after tossing it aside with the force the three of us huddled together and looked down, all we could see was an endless black chasm, and there was no way of knowing how far down it went.

"You know for a wild animal…," Cha'risma looked at me with her 'I'm better than you are' smirk, "his force sensitivity is high."

"For Schutta…," I could hear the same chiding mockery in Rarsk deep throated growl and I was wondering why the people I worked with never seemed to like each other, "you wear lot of lip paint."

"Okay you on that side," I inserted myself in between them, as I was certain they were going to kill each other, "and you on that one, and down we go," at that moment I jumped down the shaft using the force to affect the wind created by my fall to slow down to an average pace, after a minute or so I landed safely at the bottom with Cha'risma landing right after me, together we were able to bring Rarsk down just as slowly.

The entire area was drenched in blackness, there were only faint flickering blue lights along the walkways and the windows in some of the rooms and off the side off the walkways was yet another endless black pit that was somehow more forlorn than anything we'd encountered just yet and my instincts urged me to be wary of the edges, After searching together for a few hours we eventually came to a room that strongly resembled the Jedi council chambers with an ascending walkway at the other end of it, Cha'risma was the first to break our silence, "Well… at least this place knows black is in…"

"At least Schutta is humorous…" Rarsk gargled as he searched for anything that could contain a record of anything about this place, my search had led me up the walkway to what looked like a series of panels, that I had begun fiddling with.

"Oh joy, they've discovered witty banter," I replied as dryly as physically possible.

All of a sudden Cha'risma was up in my face with a serious deadpan expression going on, "My sarcasm-sense is tingling."

She had surprised me and I didn't see exactly what panel I pushed but suddenly the wall opened up and we were looking at a room perfectly illuminated, not from electric or natural light, but from glowing bright red, Sith Holocrons, "What's this?"

We stepped foot into the room and began to look around all of a sudden Cha'risma started to whip her head from side to side, she was terrified, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" I couldn't hear anything but I could definitely sense a very strong evil presence permeating the atmosphere and I was afraid I sensed more than one.

"There is something in here with us…" Cha'risma began to back up, she would have liked nothing better than to turn and run and forget she ever came to this forsaken place.

"…She is not wrong…" Rarsk had drawn his saberstaff and taken up a defensive position in front of us, "the darkest beasts lurk in the shadows…"

At the center of the room there was a podium and on it rested a solitary piece of headgear, I looked vaguely like a skull with slight red markings on it, I went over to it immediately elated, "This must be the mask…" and I reached out to grab it.

The skin from my hand barely made contact with the mask when suddenly this dark purple energy started pouring out onto my hands and wrapping around me, Rarsk and Cha'risma could see it and they raced over and tried to pull me away, but something had frozen me in place, I could see their mouths moving and their panicked eyes, but I could not hear them, and suddenly my eyes were transfixed on the ghost of the Sith Lord of Hunger he seemed to emerge out of the Holocrons and he floated slowly over to me, it was as if I was in a trance, he was an inch from my face, and I felt as if my very soul were about to be devoured as his body, his essence, seemed to mesh into my own.

The next thing I knew I was on the ground being roused from unconsciousness by Rarsk, "Kradok! Is okay?"

Cha'risma was on my other side heaving a big sigh of relief to see me stirring from my slumber, I only briefly wondered how long I'd ben unconscious, "What just happened? For a second I thought you were going to die."

All of sudden I heard the loud sound of charging blasters, "Oh, you are all going to die," I looked up to see the Rodian Hal Ordoo standing at the entrance to the Holocron chamber pointing his twin blasters at us, I was certain the expression on his was a smug one, though it can be hard to tell with Rodians, "and I'm going to take that mask."


	5. A Nekghoul in the Dark

(_A Nekghoul in the Dark_)

Hal Ordoo had his twin-blasters trained on Rarsk and me; he obviously didn't think Cha'risma was much of a threat, judging by the expression on her face I think she was offended. This time Hal didn't come with any droids, which meant he figured he could take the three of us out by himself, which meant he was either extremely overconfident, had something up his sleeve, or he was much better than the three of us had given him credit for. I was having trouble breathing, and I could feel something inside of me, clawing at my insides, urging me to put on the mask on the pedestal behind me.

"Thank you for showing me where the mask was," I think Hal was smirking at us, It's very difficult to tell with Rodians, "that was very kind of you."

"Those are awfully big blasters…" Cha'risma cocked one of her eyebrows, "You compensating for something?"

"Rarsk know what is said, little man, little…" He made a noise that I'm certain was a snicker, and I was beginning to suspect he liked Cha'risma more than he let on.

"You are awfully cocky for corpses," at that moment Hal began to fire upon us, Cha'risma and I fell in behind Rarsk as he began twirling his saberstaff deflecting all the blaster bolts back out the door, we needed to come up with a plan quickly.

"I don't you guys but I'm getting real sick of hearing 'eee chu pah'…" Cha'risma said that loud enough for Hal to overhear her.

"I'll make sure those the last words you ever hear," Hal stopped firing and began to step in closer to us when from somewhere far up above him the Nekghoul dropped down and grabbed Hal throwing him behind him and turned to face us, his fangs flared and his eyes glaring red at us, and then he spoke, "…the mask… is… mine"

"Uh, uh, Hideous," Hal sprang back up sprawled on one knee, both hands on one blaster and he had it trained on the Nekghouls back, "I was here first"

"Uh no, we were here first…." And I wasn't about to lose this mask to either of them.

"I… will devour… you all," the Nekghoul stretched his jaw and began to size all of us up, as if looking for which one would be the easiest to subdue.

"Oh kay," this wasn't going well, I needed to come up with a plan to distract both of them so we could escape with the mask, I had to stall for time, and then I got an idea, "We have it on good authority we're not healthy."

"…Schutta is very fatty," and Rarsk caught on to my plan almost instantly, though Cha'risma was less than thrilled, I almost heard her head snap in Rarsk's direction as she stared him down icily, "Excuse me," I could hear in her tone that she was playing along as well… even if she didn't like being insulted.

"And we're all high in sodium, but the Rodian's healthy as a salad…" and hopefully the Nekghoul was dumb enough to take the bait, "or a nice juicy Bantha steak," and with that the Nekghoul swiveled his head to face Hal, he may not have bought what we were selling, but he did notice that Hal was all by himself and he turned around, he must have thought Hal would be the easiest to pick off.

Hal leapt to his feet pulled back out his other blaster and with these words, "You all die now!" he resumed firing at us, the Nekghoul leapt out of the way and began running along the walls in the shadows as he began hunting the Rodian, Hal blasters seemed to follow his exact trajectory, barely missing him a multitude of times, this was the distraction we had been looking for. I turned around to the pedestal and grabbed the mask, now we only had to get out of here, however the moment I grabbed the mask we heard the low whine of an alarm and heard a low mechanical voice, "Security Systems breached: Preservation methods activated."

"Why doesn't that fill me with joy," at this point Cha'risma was the one abusing sarcasm, we heard what sounded like large metallic plates opening along with the swooshing of what sounded like air, but much more ominous. I went to Run out on the walkway, hoping I could run around Hal and Nekghoul somehow when the large waves of black water came roaring up past the sides of the walkway, the whole temple would be flooded in a matter of seconds, I was paralyzed, I didn't know how we were going to survive this, the next thing I knew Rarsk had pulled me back inside the Holocron Chamber and he and Cha'risma were sealing the doorway, all of our clothes were soaked from the spray of the water, and we were trapped inside this small room with no way out, "Aww… at least these are my work clothes…" could old Cha'risma, could always count on her fripperies to lighten the mood.

"Haven't we had this discussion?" Sure we were trapped and probably running out of oxygen, but I felt like mocking her one last time.

"Smell fresh air…" Rarsk used the force to leap to a panel on the ceiling and ripped it off revealing a ladder leading up to the surface, "an escape hatch."

"Out of my way," Cha'risma shoved me off to the side as she sprang up past Rarsk and me and looked down at us once inside with that chiding smile of hers, "beauty before brawn."

"You're such a vain Jedi," she was a lot of fun, but she needed to reevaluate her priorities.

All Rarsk mumbled was, "…Schutta," and with that the three of us began our slow trek up to the surface.

* * *

After we escaped we got back on the shuttle and eventually made it back to the Telos Orbital Station, we didn't say much on the ride back, Cha'risma loaned me an extra pair of Jedi robes that I cleaverly concealed the mask inside and the she escorted me and Rarsk back to the spaceport, we were silent the entire way there, somehow, none of us really wanted to say goodbye, Cha'risma turned to me as we entered the hanger, "So, what're you going to do with the mask…"

"I'm not really sure…" I couldn't look at her, not because I had feelings for her beyond friendship, but because I was going to miss the easy going nature of our relationship, the way I missed the closeness Areeva and I shared, "until I figure it out I'm gonna keep it close and away from the Genoharadan."

"…Maybe we'll see each again someday," She turned to walk away but didn't take a step, this was harder than either one of us anticipated.

"…Hopefully not soon," Rarsk, I couldn't tell if he was being serious or just trying to lighten the mood, we both laughed a little at that.

"I'd like that," there was nothing else to say.

"You know you're not too bad…" she had that mischievous look in her eyes as she said that and began to head back to the enclave, then she turned her head around and added, "for someone who's not supposed to be a Jedi," my jaw dropped a bit and I laughed as I listened to her heels click all the way out of the hanger.

"She had a moment," I was referring to the honest sincerity of the moment of our conversation, "a brief one, and there it went," that woman never ceased to astound me.

Rarsk just shook his head gargling, "Just leave now please…" he was right, we'd overstayed our welcome on Telos IV and should head back to Tython, Master Teradid was probably wandering what happened to me, and with that we boarded my ship and put this planet behind us.


	6. Secrets and Lies, and More Lies

(_Secrets and Lies, and More Lies_)

Drakkus gazed out the frosted window out at the frozen wasteland, the light from the moon glittered across the frozen lake, something was unsettling him, he began to pace around as he waited for news about the mask, something wasn't right, he could feel himself growing angrier by the second, he heard the metal doors and he watched as his favorite female assassin strolled in, though she didn't strut in as usual, she approached him gravely, and he already knew what she was going to say, "Hal's dead. Kradok has the mask."

Drakkus punched his fist through the glass sending a wave of icy wind rushing though his base, he could tell that his Bounty Hunters were displeased, "Helba won't like this…"

"I can recover the mask, I'll draw him into a tra…" She started.

"After your abysmal failure last time? You could have killed him over and over again, and the worst part, you knew the threat he posed us." Drakkus glared at her.

"No I didn't, not at first!" She was desperate…

"Silence! I can't trust you on this assignment." Drakkus looked over at his gang of Bounty Hunters, the few who had returned from their missions were merely sitting around, spinning empty bottles of whiskey in their hands, when they should be out tracking Kradok, still, Drakkus wouldn't begrudge them a little downtime, "Xe'kor."

A male chiss emerged from the shadows, "Boss," Xe'kor knew he was about to be assigned the bounty on Kradok, he preferred non-lethal jobs but he would never decline an order from Drakkus, lest he lose his head, but still the look on the woman's face next to him suggested she wasn't going to take no for an answer, he suspected she'd be trouble.

* * *

I'd been back on Tython for a few days, Master Teradid still hadn't returned from his Voss excursion with Grand Master Davan, Rarsk and I stayed in guest chambers provided to us while we waited for 3C-FD to finish his research on the gold coin that Hal Ordoo had dropped with the embossed CC on both sides, the sun was high in the sky when a messenger came to my chambers and asked that I meet with Master Teradid out in the training grounds outside the temple, I didn't think much of it at the time, but Rarsk had gone back the ship to check on 3C, I emerged from the Jedi Temple into the harsh sunlight, I sensed my master with the force and walked over to the edge of the training grounds where he was waiting.

"Hello my Padawan," Master Teradid said as I approached.

"Greetings Master," I stood behind him and looked down at the rushing brook, it seemed like a lifetime since I'd last spoken to him.

"I have done some research and I have discovered who the Lord of Hunger is," He wasn't facing me; he continued to stare down at the rushing water.

"You have! Who is he?" I would finally have a name to go with the force ghost who haunted me on Telos.

"The infamous Sith Lord Darth Nihilus," Nihilus… I finally had a name to go with the mask…

"I have never heard of a Darth Nihilus," I could still feel his presence inside of me, like a ravenous monster just waiting to be unleashed, calling to me desperately in night, begging me to put on the mask.

"However, with this good news… I have some… bad news," Master Teradid began to walk away toward the bridge; I was developing a rather bad feeling about this, "What kind of bad news?" I started to follow him over onto the bridge, that's when he turned to face me, "Someone tried to break into our classified files concerning Darth Nihilus."

"Who would do such a thing?" I immediately fixed my gaze on the water rushing over the pebbles, doing my best to keep my face void of emotion; I did the best thing for everyone involved, so why did I feel so guilty?

"I am unsure, however…" he trailed off.

"However?" I was becoming suspicious off the direction of this conversation. Did my master already suspect me?

"We should proceed with caution; we may be being led into a trap," If only he'd warned me about that before I went to Telos.

"Yes… a trap…" my own guilt kept me from simply nodding and agreeing with him, if he knew that it had been me… I didn't want to think about it.

"Did you see anything while you were on the fleet? That's where the hacker was," Shi'ka turned to face me, I tried to pass off my inability to look at him by pretending to be lost in thought staring at the pebbles…

"No… I did not; I was busying preparing for my trip to Telos…." I was desperately hoping he wasn't going to ask me about my trip… I needed to get my story straight first.

"Kradok… you would not lie to me… would you?" I could feel his gaze on me; I couldn't believe he would ask me that question… I also knew it was justified.

"I would not say anything I felt was untrue," and I hadn't, but I hadn't exactly told the truth either.

"So you know nothing about the hacking?" and that was when I knew that Master Shi'ka knew I knew more than I was letting on.

"Nothing other than what you've told me… that it came from the fleet and they were looking into Darth Nihilus…" That was true, I knew I had Hal slice the archives from the fleet, and thanks to my Master I now knew I was looking for information on Nihilus.

"Alright, I am glad you can be honest with me. Kradok," his words stung like a lightsaber burn, "we will solve this puzzle together, and we will depart on a shuttle tomorrow for Taris. I have a lead there," could I really let him lead me on a wild kowakian monkey lizard chase when I already had the mask?

"Good… a lead… that is good…." Apparently I could, I watched the other padawans with their master's, their relationships seemed so happy and honest and I wondered when things became so complicated between my Master and me, it seemed like it happened almost instantaneously.

"Kradok look at me, please," I turned my head slowly to look into his eyes, I could see the suspicion in them mingled with concern, it was all I could do to hold his gaze, I could only imagine what my on face looked like, "What is wrong Kradok?"

"Nothing, my trip to Telos was just rather exhausting that's all…" maybe I could pass lying off as fatigue…

"Alright, get some rest," he smiled weakly at me and with that he began to leave, however, he halted directly behind me and said terrifyingly serious, "I have given you a lot of freedom, please do not make me believe that was a mistake," and with that he began to walk away, "I will see you tomorrow Kradok, be ready, we will have a lot of work to do."

"I will be ready," the only words that came out of my mouth, after he was gone I collapsed on the ground, my breathing was heavy and labored, It was quite a while before I regained my composure, "too close…"

* * *

My Master and I never went to Taris together, something came up the following day and a group of Jedi went to Hoth, Shi'ka was gravely injured and was staying on Tython for a while to recover, I had a brief reprieve from chasing kowakian monkey lizards… I returned to my ship after making sure my Master was alright, I ascended the steps and already I could tell something was up, Rarsk and 3C-FD were both pacing around the Holoterminal.

"Is good your back. Little droid have big find," Rarsk stopped pacing as I entered the room and grabbed 3C-FD by the head to keep him from rolling away.

"Really, were you able to find any leads on the coin?" I really hoped it wasn't just some sort of planetary currency…

"Breet boo beep dwooooooo breeet beep beeeeeeeeeeeep breet dwoooo," I understood astromech a little bit better, while I didn't get everything he was saying, I had the gist of it.

"Why would a Genoharadan assassin have a membership token to The Chevin Conglomerate?" They were two separate organizations, and Hal was a rodian, he would never have been able join them, unless The Chevin and the Genoharadan were connected…

"Breet Breep boo dwoooo beep," 3C-FD was able to trace the origins of the coin.

"So our little bounty hunter friend has Chevin connections on Nar Shaddaa," looks like I'd found my next stop…

"There more," Rarsk said as the Holoterminal sprang to life, he circled to the other side and made a rather lewd gesture, "woman from Nar Shaddaa keeps holocalling… she ask for you."

A voluptuous miraluka slave dancer appeared on the monitor she seemed to spot me right away, even though she shouldn't have known I was there, I hadn't said anything yet, "Finally! Look I can't talk long…"

"Who are you?" I didn't like this, it felt… familiar.

"We'll get to that later; I know what the Genoharadan is up to…." There was something familiar about her voice like I'd heard it before; there was something about the way she moved her face that also struck a chord…

"What do you want?" nothing was ever free, especially on Nar Shaddaa

"In good time," she smiled, and then looked around nervously, "I have to go, meet me on Nar Shaddaa, I've sent the coordinates to your droid." She did something with her lips and then cut the transmission. I knew her from somewhere…


	7. The Red-Light Nemesis

(_The Red-Light Nemesis_)

I walked into the cantina in the red-light sector of Nar Shaddaa, Rask had elected to stay behind on the ship, in case this was a trap, I was to check in via holocall in under two hours. As I waded into the shady cantina, I noticed a fast assortment of thugs, Weequay, Advoze, a couple humans, and even some Mirialans, as I was surveying my surrounding one of the various female dancers, a Twi-lek, approached me, " Would you like to make the beast with two backs?" I was speechless

I squinted slightly, and replied sarcastically, "How subtle…" I couldn't believe anyone was that forward.

She slapped me, "…Prick!" and strutted off to ask one of the nice thugs in the corner the same question.

I rubbed my check, "Rude prostitutes…" and proceeded to the back of the cantina and sat down in the bleakest looking corner, no light, no dancers nearby, and with a decent view of both side hallways to watch for any unfriendly visitors. However, someone did slip past my line of sight and came up right next to me without any warning whatsoever.

"Are you lost?" The Voss said, I'd never seen one up close before, only pictures and holorecordings, His eyes, I'd heard and seen the male Voss eyes as being yellow, but his, they were orange and there was something about them, I felt as if I were staring into a mirror.

"I wish." I looked away only to be more shocked when I realized, he wasn't wearing clothes, just what looked like black latex covering…

"You seem out of place," he titled his head to the side and blinked, "you do not belong here." He smiled.

"I'm out of place!" I stood up, for some reason I sounded angry, when I was really very uncomfortable, all of my senses were screaming at me to run away, "You're the one in your underwear."

The Voss looked down at his attire and then resumed staring at me, "The Hutt likes it this way."

I blinked, "I don't know what to say to that."

The Voss put his hands on my shoulders and leaned in slightly examining "You appear shocked." I didn't want to cause a scene but my hand drifted toward my lightsaber.

A female voice broke the sudden silence, "Khi-Tyn, you're scaring the little Jedi, I didn't think you'd come," The miralukan woman from the holocomm sat down across from me, she pouted her lips.

"It was against my better judgment," I sized her up, she wore the usual skimpy dancers outfit, I knew I'd seen something very similar to it before, she had a thing bone-like mask covering her eyes, and an unusual way of holding her lips, like they were in constant pout, but smirking at the same time. Her skin appeared extra smooth, unnaturally so.

"Where's you lizard friend?" The Miraluka scanned the area, looking for Rarsk, "He's usually lurking about."

"That's not your concern, I didn't come here to chat, so you either give me the information you promised or I walk out that door," I stood up and threatened her just loudly enough that it got across but not loud enough to draw attention.

The Miraluka rose up and shoved me into my seat and ran her right hand across my face whispering, "I think we both know why you're here."

"I should have sensed it was you," cold realization and recognition washed over me as I reached up and ripped off her mask, I never thought I'd see her again.

"It did take you longer than I thought…" Li'Rinna's cold red eyes glared back at me, as a smile seemed to dance across her face. I took another glance at her oh-so-smooth skin, I was sure she was in a latex body suit.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't throw your faux white butt in prison," I reached for my blade, it would have been so easy, I could finally have some justice for Denai, but something stayed my hand.

"I'm innocent," she smirked, I reached for my lightsaber, she immediately dropped the act, "okay maybe not innocent, but I didn't kill the Jedi on Coruscant."

"Areeva saw you," that was proof enough for me, I stared her down, her red eyes glaring back, I held so much contempt for her it was hard not to lash out in anger, I started to murmer the code in my mind, there is no emotion

Li'Rinna looked over at the crowd and then leaned in to whisper in my ear making sure it looked like something else, I almost didn't play along, "Maybe you should ask her exactly what it was she saw, because she didn't see me."

"Why should I believe you?" I felt strange, part of me felt she was being upfront with me but I couldn't pretend what happened on Coruscant didn't exist.

The Voss, Khi-Tyn, interrupted us his luminous orange eyes seemed to stare into my soul… it made me uncomfortable, "This is not a matter of trust, this is an exchange, belief has nothing to do with it."

Li'Rinna stepped back, realizing this was not a time to use her body to manipulate what she wanted, "He's right, I know you have the mask, and I want to help you stop the Genoharadan," for once, she was ready to stop playing games.

"Do I look stupid to you?" I wasn't sure whether I was trying to get her to convince me or trying to convince myself to distrust her.

"…Not this time," Li'Rinna smirked, and I felt a bit offended but before I could respond she elaborated, "After Coruscant, I became the most wanted assassin the galaxy, and the Genoharadan hung me out to dry," an unpleasant frown settled on her face that slowly turned in to a vindictive smile, " I'd like to return the favor."

"Let's say I believe you, what do you have?" I felt like I was walking across a tightrope, I could only go forward, I would have to trust in the force to see me across.

"Khi-Tyn," she gestured toward the Voss, "He's the Genoharadan conduit, they have found a way to exploit his force-vision and use it for their own agenda, which is how they found out about you, Kradok," I remembered in my brief conversation with Drakkus on Coruscant that he said his associate had foreseen I'd cause them trouble, it was hard to believe that a practically naked Voss was the associate he'd been talking about, "you pose a more than significant threat to them, which is why they sent me after you."

"What does the Chevin Conglomerate have to do with this?" I pulled out the coin Hal had dropped and set it on the table, Li'Rinna and Khi-Tyn exchanged a bemused expression, "I see you've been busy, They have teamed up with the Genoharadan to find a set of rare artifacts, one of them was the lord of Hunger's mask."

"How do I find the other artifacts they're looking for?" Sure I had one, but I was sure that if the Genoharadan got any of them it would be exceedingly unpleasant.

Khi-Tyn broke his silence, staring into my eyes, it was like he could read my most private thoughts, "In my last vision, I saw a lightsaber lost in dunes of Tatooine…"

I blinked sarcastically, "…That narrows it down…"

"The Chevin have funded numerous expeditions into the sands, I believe they are closing in on the lightsaber," Li'Rinna noticed that some of the other patrons were beginning to pay attention to us, she placed her mask back over her eyes.

"So, we need to steal their information," I was definitely placing a lot of faith in the force trusting Li'Rinna, but she posed a significant value, she was an ex-Genoharadan assassin, I could definitely use her information to my advantage.

"Correction, you need to steal their information," Li'Rinna had to wrap this up quickly, she picked up the coin and gave it to Khi-Tyn, and looked around for the best way out.

"You aren't going to help," I was on the verge of not trusting her again.

"I didn't say that, Khi-Tyn will get you past security, I'll meet you inside," Li'Rinna slapped me to make it looked I'd offended the stripper she was supposed to be and ran off into the back room, Khi-Tyn just smiled and looked at me, I didn't like this at all.

"Looks like it will just be the two of us," Khi-Tyn placed his hand on my hand and began to play around with my hair, I was sure some part of him enjoyed making me uncomfortable, I sighed resignedly, "…Can you put some clothes on."

* * *

Rarsk paced around the holoterminal anxiously, he didn't like that Kradok had gone off all by himself but he knew it was necessary for Kradok's growth, he could hear the droid 3C-FD beeping below, tinkering with the hyperdrive, He was waiting for contact, he had a favor he had to ask and a truth to disclose, suddenly the Holoterminal began beeping loudly. Rarsk accepted the call and Ssravek, the leader of his clan looked down upon him, "Is good to hear from Rarsk, How go journeys with Jagganath Jedi?"

"Well, Rarsk score many points on many worlds," Rarsk had to show the usual respect and formalities before he could get to the point.

"You honor Ssravek, honor Scorekeeper," Ssravek was pleased to see that Rarsk was showing their clan in a positive light in the galaxy once more, he always though Rarsk had great potential, even when the others shunned him.

"I have done Ssravek dishonor," Rarsk replied, Ssravek didn't respond physically or emotionally he just blinked and motioned for Rarsk to go on, "Home, Kradok challenged Ssravek, Rarsk… Rarsk… Rarsk betrayed Ssravek…" and with that Rarsk began to explain to Ssravek about his force abilities and how he used them to help Kradok out during the match.


	8. Reunion

(_Reunion_)

"You… tainted Jagganath right?" Ssravek balked at Rarsk in disbelief. He'd always believed in the young Trandoshan, even when the rest of the clan claimed he was no good that his father's family was a taint on them. But here Rarsk had just admitted to being force sensitive as the Jedi would call it and that he had helped the Jagganath Jedi in the right of challenge. He could not fault Kradok, even though part of him wanted to, he would not break oath, but Rarsk was another story, and there was only one thing to do, "Banished. Rarsk is banished from clan. Ssravek is… is… Ssravek is sorry."

"Rarsk understand," Rarsk knew this was the price for what he'd done, that was why he'd never returned to the clan after they had him escort Kradok back to Kalikori village, Kradok had posed a way out for him, a way out from the mistrust of his brothers, but he could not fully join Kradok as long as his loyalties were to Ssravek, "Rarsk needs Ssravek to do favor, one last favor for Rarsk."

"Suppose I can honor last request from Hunter, Scorekeeper always smiled on you," Ssravek didn't know what he was feeling, he should want to rip Rarsk's head off for embarrassing him in front of his clan, but he didn't, he was only sad, his clan had lost a great hunter, with impeccable skill.

Rarsk knew Ssravek was giving him a gift he did not deserve, Ssravek had always been kind to him and Rarsk had betrayed him, but he could not let Ssravek kill Kradok, In Kradok he saw salvation, completion, purpose, and that was why he followed Kradok, protected Kradok, but soon Kradok would not need him as a protector, so there was only one thing left to do, "Rarsk want permission to train as Jedi."

* * *

Khi-Tyn and I made our way to the promenade, the bright lights and obnoxiously loud jazz were starting to bother both my eyes and ears, none of the music seemed to bother Khi-Tyn as he pulled my along behind him. It was embarrassing being dragged around by a Voss who wore black latex underwear, especially considering he was supposed to be leading me to the Chevin Conglomerate, "I don't see any Chevin…" I said.

"Patience young Jedi, All roads inevitably lead to destiny." Khi-Tyn replied, he had an annoyingly calm I know more than you do voice, it bugged me.

"Will one of those roads lead you to putting clothes on?" I rolled my eyes.

"Possibly." He smirked, he's was enjoying this…

"Then let's take that one!" I had seriously had enough this guy, and I was starting to wonder whether he was actually useful or if Li'Rinna was using him to torture me. It would hardly be the worst thing she'd done, "Kradok, is that you?" a voice called out from behind me…

I turned around slowly immediately recognizing the lavender Lekku, "Areeva!" I screamed and ran into her wrapping my arms around her in a hug, I never thought I'd see her again, or a least not for a long time, "Aren't you supposed to be on Corellia?" I asked.

"After the War was over Master Braga didn't see much reason for me to stay on Corellia… or keep me a Padawan," She smiled,

"You've been knighted?" I asked dumbfounded, she just kept smiling, "That's excellent news!" I hugged her again, it felt good to just relax and not worry about anything for a moment.

* * *

Ixodon quietly snuck out of a room in the red-light sector of Nar Shaddaa, he was trying to make as little noise as possible as he pulled his pants back on over his shoes, and made extra sure he didn't leave his shirttail sticking out of his zipper, "You're incorrigible," Ixodon looked up to see his buddy Kordak, the two of them had teamed up during the siege of Iridonia after Kordak's squad was killed in the line of duty, Ixodon had been there smuggling spice for the Hutts, he never touched the stuff himself, but boy was the pay ever good, in-between jobs he'd help Kordak with whatever task he'd been assigned by the Republic Military, and in return Kordak helped him, it felt good having a partner, "I'm sure you would've done the same," Ixodon smirked.

Kordak turned and began to walk away from his friend leaving Ixodon bewildered, "Hey what's up," he said chasing after him, "I overheard part of a conversation in the Silent Sun Cantina while you were… laying about, and I think a Jedi is going to be in a lot of trouble, real quick," Kordak kept walking.

"So, you hate the Jedi, and I'm not a big fan of morally just force-users waving their hands telling me to 'go home and rethink my life," Ixodon waved his hand the way the Jedi do when they attempt to use force-persuasion techniques and laughed a bit. Kordak kept walking, "This is really bugging you isn't Kor?"

"The Jedi…" Kordak started as he came to a halt.

"What about… it is a him right?" Ixodon chuckled a bit.

Kordak resumed walking and jumped into a speeder, this should get him to the promenade, he'd placed a small tracer on the Jedi's robes as he left the cantina and it would track him as long as they were both on the same planet. Ixodon hopped into the seat next to Kordak and waited rather impatiently for an answer, "I think I know him," Kordak started the engine.

* * *

"What about you? You didn't become a stodgy Jedi prude while I was gone?" a wicked smile danced across Areeva's face.

"Like you'd ever let me live that down," I blushed a little, Areeva had always lived by her own version of the Jedi code, it was surprising she'd even been allowed to become a knight, "Why are you here?" I asked.

Her Lekku twitched amusedly, "Come on, this is exactly my kind of place, why are you and…" she stopped when she turned and noticed Khi-Tyn, it was obvious she hadn't expected to see him, "I remember Rarsk being scaly and you know… Trandoshan-like…."

"If he were here, he'd call you a Schutta…" I said with the best serious face I could muster, in seconds we both burst out laughing and Areeva even did a brief Rarsk impersonation before either calmed down enough to speak in terms other people could understand, " Areeva this is Khi-Tyn, He's going to help me break into the Chevin Conglomerate."

"The pleasure is mine," Khi-Tyn said as he got uncomfortable close to Areeva and ran his fingers over her Lekku, " I'm sure."

Areeva looked at me her expression read something along the lines of 'where'd you find this guy' as her mouth twitched into a wicked little smile, "I can see that," she replied. Areeva turned to me with a quizzically bemused expression, "So you're into breaking and entering now? I see I've been a positive influence," she gestured for Khi-Tyn to pat her back for her….

* * *

Xe'kor watched as Areeva joined Kradok and the conduit. This was bad, she wasn't supposed to be here and he knew that she going to pose a problem to him accomplishing his task. Drakkus won't be pleased. Xe'kor pulled out his holocomm and signaled, he needed instructions as how to proceed, lest he do something to threaten his position within the Genoharadan or end up like Hal. But Hal was an idiot, an overconfident cocky idiot. He was a pretty good slicer though, always stole the best things off the glactic trade network. Drakkus black image sprang to life on Xe'kor's holocomm, his eyes stared at him with ruthless intensity, Xe'kor suppressed a gulp, "Sir, Areeva has engaged the target, I don't have a clear shot."

Drakkus' eyes narrowed, he was not a man to get on the bad side of and everyone knew that the fastest way to get on his bad side was to disregard a direct order. Drakkus was a contract killer with a perfect blood-soaked record, and he was furious, "Kill the Twi-lek, and the Jedi! And if the conduit gets in your way, well, better to kill him ourselves than lose him to them."

"Won't Helba be upset we killed the…" Xe'kor stopped the moment he saw Drakkus's eyes start to widen in fury, he was walking a fine line between life and execution, and he was going to stay alove as long as he possibly could, "Yes sir," Xe'kor nodded and shut of the holocomm, and then he prepared for a brutal assassination.

* * *

"Oh very," I replied as sarcastically as possible before my eyes softened and I remembered everything we went through together, I treasured those memories, even the being kidnapped and running for my life memories because she made everything bearable so without any trace I hubris I looked at Areeva and somehow I knew she'd been thinking the same thing, " without you I don't know where I'd be…"

Khi-Tyn shook his head as if coming out of a trance and stated simply, "Areeva it would be to your benefit to move your head slightly to the left," Areeva did as a blaster shot zoomed by and struck the giant Hutt statue not far behind us, instantly I grabbed Khi-Tyn and rolled across the floor behind one of the plants holding pillars for protection, Areeva was right behind me.

Areeva had her hands on her lightsaber but couldn't see where he shots were coming from, "Who's shooting…?"

"My vision is not that precise," Khi-Tyn said as he looked around looking for similarities between what he saw and where we were.

"Areeva, I'll distract him, you take Khi-Tyn and hop a speeder to the…" I stopped and realized I had no idea where we were going.

"Refugee sector," Khi-Tyn filled in, and I wondered briefly in he knew where we were going all along, why did we stop here?

"There," I replied as I drew my lightsaber.

"You'll be alright?" Areeva and I shared a brief glance and she smiled, "Just like old times."

"It's a little too familiar for me," I couldn't help from chuckling slightly, here we were in another life or death situation, we were always in these situations, I'm sure Areeva would say it was part of her charm.

"Just don't get your head blown off and it'll be fine," She said patting me on the shoulder as she used the force to leap and take Khi-Tyn with her up to the second floor where they made a mad dash out of sight, I mumbled as she disappeared from view, "Thanks for the tip."

I sat there behind the pillar for merely seconds as blaster fire rained down upon the promenade and the denizens of Nar Shaddaa cowered in fear or took refuge in the cantina, I stayed just long enough to determine where the shots were coming from. I leaped through the air and landed on the upper landing on the opposite side of Bareesh the Hutt's Republic office and came face to face with a Chiss sniper, who pulled out a blaster rifle and began to fire in my direction, I deflected the blasts with my lightsaber and slowly edged forward toward him, the blaster bolts were much stronger than I was used to so every step was a battle, eventually I managed to swing my lightsaber forward cutting the barrel of the blaster across the nose. The Chiss smiled, his blood red eyes stared into my soul, and drank in my fear, and he pulled up his blaster hand and shot out an electro-net from a launcher on his arm. I crumpled as thousands of electricity poured through my skin and I screamed in agony as my face hit the floor. I'd made a mistake, a stupid mistake.

The Chiss pointed his sniper rifle at my head, a demonic smirk etched on his light blue face, "Where did Areeva take the conduit?"

"If I tell you, you'll kill me faster…" I was going to die, all the work I'd done, the lies I'd told would all be for nothing. What would Master Teradid think of me now?

The Chiss's eyes softened a bit, I wondered what was going through his mind, "Trust me, you'd rather I kill you than the alternative," he said as he placed his finger behind the trigger. I closed my eyes and prepared for the end.

Abruptly an explosion of mortor crashed on the upper promenade destroying the section the Chiss and I were standing on and I heard a voice ring out, a voice that I remembered but never thought I'd hear again, "How's it taste Xe'kor!" the voice was filled was undulating rage and fury as I fell from the upper level and crashed loudly on the ground below, the next thing I knew a Mirialan was standing over me, he disabled the electro-net and pulled me off the ground and looked into my eyes, he had short cut hair white as Hoth snow, and grassy green skin, "You alright kid?"

"Who are you?" I was stunned and turned to look over at the trooper with the plasma cannon firing at Xe'kor who was dodging in and out behind pillars before firing back, the Zabrak trooper with chocolate brown skin and blond hair kept firing at the Chiss yelling, "Not so tough now are you!" He blasted straight through another pillar causing the promenade above to come crashing down.

"Besides the most handsome man in the known galaxy," the Mirialan said dusting the debris off of his jacket with a smile I'm sure attracted no end of female company, "You can call me Ixodon, and my friend over there squaring off with the Chiss is…" he pointed over to the Zabrak.

"Kordak…" I said mystified, I was sure he was dead…

"You know him?" Ixodon looked confused and was probably upset I'd ruined whatever punch line he was building up to.

"He's my brother…" I thought he'd been killed on the frontlines during the siege on Iridonia, but he was alive, my eldest brother was alive, I smiled, and remembered I had no time for a reunion now, I had to get to Areeva.

"Brother eh, he said you guys were dead," Ixodon was sizing me up, but I could tell he noticed the resemblance. Kordak looked over at me and smiled, he just nodded at the expression on my face, he knew I had to go.

"Tell him I'm sorry for not protecting Kadrok…" guilt consumed me all over again.

"He would never blame you," despite Ixodon's reassurance, I still blinked away tears, even though I was sure he was right, Kordak was reloading his clip, Xe'kor attempted to sneak into the shadows but Ixodon shot rapidly into the doorway he was trying to slip through, "Imperial coward!" Kordak shouted followed by a long string of obscenities.

"The Jedi Council should have my ships ID signature, contact Master Davan or Master Teradid…" I wanted to talk with him, explain what happened, apologize in person, but more than anything, "I'd like to see him… When we aren't being shot at."

Ixodon smirked, "Sure thing, kid," and with that I ran off through on of the passages, I noticed Xe'kor had disabled the taxi station on this side, so with no options left, I jumped off the side of the promenade and landed on the back on a moving car, somehow I was going to get to the refugee sector…


	9. The Chevin Connection

(_The Chevin Connection_)

After the dust up in the promenade Xe'kor had slunk off to the red light sector, he had lost his mark and if he didn't find him soon Drakkus would have him excommunicated, and that was a prospect he didn't want to think about. The Trooper and the Mirialan had pinned him down and after much destruction to the upper promenade and a flash grenade Xe'kor slipped through one of the exits. Xe'kor lifted a glass of corellian ale to his lips as his holocomm began furiously beeping. He didn't recognize the channel.

"Xe'kor," the female Chiss cooed lusciously over the comm, "did you lose something?"

"Li'Rinna," Xe'kor replied gritting his teeth, "It's been awhile."

"Yeah, having the head of the Genoharadan hang you out to dry and leave you with no resources does put a girl out of contact."

"There were worse alternatives."

"I know where your Jedi friend has gone," Li'Rinna smirked as meshed her lips into a seductive pout.

"What do you want," Xe'kor replied. He knew better than to trust Li'Rinna, she was always working an angle that went above and beyond general self-preservation. Ulterior motives were about the only thing one could count on with her and it made working with her difficult. That was why Drakkus left her to wriggle on a stick, that and her botched engagements on Coruscant and Korriban.

"Nothing much," she smiled and laughed a bit revealing her illuminating white teeth, "When the opportunity presents itself, you will help me kill Drakkus."

"Alright," Xe'kor masked his surprise well, but he knew she would see it regardless. He was also aware that she had him by the throat, Drakkus would terminate him if he failed and she was his only out, and he had yet to see a way to turn things around on her, "You play the game well, but how exactly do you plan to depose Drakkus?"

"Uh-uh-uh, that would be telling," Li'Rinna laughed as she watched anger flex across his face, "But remember, if you work with me I can guarantee that you will take Drakkus's place among the GenoHaradan Overseers, first off, you're gonna want to put some protective gear on your hands…"

* * *

"What does it matter whether I saw it or not, I know she did it," Areeva growled at me as we hid in the long empty cargo crates of the refugee sector.

"She's says she didn't," I knew it was a weak argument and I'd been dreading bringing this up since leaping from the landing pad onto the back of the speeder, I had to subtly persuade the driver to take a detour to the refugee sector to meet up with my friends but otherwise it was relatively simple

"Of course she does! I thought you were smarter than this…" Areeva lowered her voice as refugees strolled past the open entrance to the container.

"Arguing will not get us anywhere," Khi-Tyn said.

"Oh go put some clothes on!" Areeva spat at him, he looked like he was about to say something else but Areeva flexed as if to strike at him and he decided against it.

"Areeva, I don't trust her any more than you do," I pleaded, after I'd arrived in the sector I found that Areeva and Khi-Tyn had procured our current accommodations and were getting along relatively alright, but an uneasiness clung to the air around us like the smog that permeated the air of Nar Shaddaa, "But I have to ask you, did you actually see her murder Master Denai."

"No," She mustered after glaring angrily at me for a minute, "I was still kind of out of it. I heard her voice in the corridor and when I saw Denai…" she paused considering her words carefully, I hated putting her through this, "when I saw that she was dead my mind just filled in the blanks."

"Then the truth of the matter is we don't know who killed Master Denai," I shuddered at the thought, I believed so strongly that it was Li'Rinna, even though I believed she had been telling me the truth, the small hope I clung to was that she was lying, and that was now gone.

"Someone has to pay," Areeva growled, anguish colored her tone.

"Yes," up until now I hadn't thought about what I would do, I knew it wasn't the Jedi way to seek revenge, I tried not to think of it that way, instead I thought of it as justice, "but we owe it to Denai to be sure it's the right someone."

"I can't deal with this…" she said. Areeva's lekku usually tingling with mischief hung limply in the air, "let's just get this over with…"

"You don't have to help me…" I felt guilty and I wanted her to know she didn't have to work with me because I was working in concert with the woman she'd spent the last few months blaming for the death of her master.

"You kidding? What kind of best friend would I be if I let you break into a highly fortified compound by yourself?" Areeva smiled weakly, humor was starting to seep back into her voice, "Now let's go over this plan one last time. "

I nodded, "Alright, we might be able to pass off one Jedi as a new member but not two, and since you're the smallest you get to enter through the exterior vents," I pulled out a small map of the area that I had procured before heading to the promenade and pointed out the safest vent location she should enter through, "and I have to look as unsavory as possible as I escort our half-naked friend here inside."

"So the whole plan hinges on you looking unsavory?" She said giving me a wry little smile, "We are so doomed."

After Areeva left to I changed into a light gray jumpsuit that befitted a relatively new bounty hunter. I disassembled a blaster in order to conceal my lightsaber inside the casing and strapped it to my side worried that I wouldn't be able to draw it in time should things go awry, and with that I followed just behind Khi-Tyn as we made our way to the docks.

* * *

Ssravek did not know what to say, he should have known that this would be Rarsk's request, but the thought had never occurred to him, and he did not know how he should answer his former clan member. He was still mourning the loss of one of the greatest hunters in his clan but he was suddenly aware of the opportunity this presented to him and his clan, to have a clan member be a Jedi could give them access to Jedi transports and allow them to travel the galaxy and hunt more dangerous prey, earn more Jagganath points, and honor Scorekeeper, "Rarsk sure Rarsk want to be Jedi-hunter?"

"Rarsk have known for long time that this be Rarsk's path to Scorekeeper," Rarsk admitted as he lowered his head in shame. When he met Kradok he had seen a way out, a way off of Tython, a way to train his gifts, a way to allow him to become the greatest hunter his clan had ever seen so that legends would be told about him, the Jedi hunter with great Jagganath Score.

"Ssravek will grant Rarsk's request, but Rarsk must return Ssravek favor with favor…" Ssravek watched as Rarsk considered for a moment and then nodded.

* * *

The Docks in the refugee sector were close to one of the deadliest places to be on Nar Shaddaa, with the cyanogen gas filled Jekk Jekk Tar, the Hutt Cartel's presence, the over abundant amount of bounty hunters and now the headquarters of the Chevin Conglomerate. As I walked in step with Khi-Tyn I glanced over the three pronged edge of the docks staring at nothing but the smog and briefly wondering how long the fall would be. Khi-Tyn stopped just in front of a Weequay guard who appeared to have been drinking.

"State your na…." the Weequay guard started but recognized Khi-Tyn coming in behind me, "Oh sorry, I didn't think they found a replacement for Hal yet," he continued, and I the Chevin Conglomerate membership token in Hal's pocket suddenly made sense, though I'd have to examine the situation further if I was to discover how deeply rooted in the Conglomerate the Genoharadan were truly connected. I realized the guard hadn't moved from the doorway and pulled the golden coin from my pocket. The Weequay nodded.

"My friend's new," Khi-Tyn smiled as he leaned in and whispered obviously loud enough for me to hear, "He's a little slow don't you think?"

The Guard chuckled as he stepped out of our way. Khi-Tyn stepped forward into a long dark hallway, composed of the typical Nar Shaddaa beige gray metals. We walked past several rooms that were several humans were on terminals or moving crates or chemicals around, the interesting and unnerving part was they were all wearing shock collars. Eventually we rounded a corner into a large open room where a sole Chevin stood elevated several feet off the ground on a large circular terminal that bore an odd resemblance to a throne.

"Khi-Tyn, what a pleasant surprise" he said with an almost expectant tone. I was suspicious and I sensed it was more than jitters about what we were about to do.

"Drakkus sends his regards Nidrass," Khi-Tyn spoke eloquently, "but unfortunately we aren't here on Drakkus' behalf, and I can assure you that if you cooperate you will not be harmed, but if you don't your putting your head in harm's way."

Nidrass chuckled, "No, Khi-Tyn it is you in harm's way," I sensed something and I turned around to see Xe'kor standing in the entrance behind us, he held Areeva in a choke hold, a moderate sized blaster placed just under her neck, her eyes were transfixed with desperation as they bore into mine, "Drakkus was most upset when you left Khi-Tyn, he'll be most grateful to have you returned to him, but he won't mind a few bruises," Nidrass chortled.

My hand was on the blaster that concealed my weapon though I didn't dare draw it with Areeva's life hanging in the balance. "What are you trying to accomplish, what could the Chevin possibly gain out of helping the Genoharadan," I asked desperate to buy time to come with some kind of plan, but I saw no way out of this.

"Jedi, such small minded fools," Nidrass said, "You really have no concept of what we are trying to do, even with us working together the Genoharadan could accomplish nothing, but with the help of the Sith…" Nidrass started.

"Nooo!" Areeva screamed as used the force to hurl Xe'kor's blaster away from him, and raced over to my side, I drew my blade as she ignited hers and the three of us stood our backs pressed together, Areeva facing the door, me facing Xe'kor and Khi-Tyn facing Nidrass.

"FOOLS," Nidrass bellowed. "Kill them Xe'kor, Kill them now!"

At that precise moment a platoon of Weequay guards come pouring in through the entrance. Areeva barreled toward them as Xe'kor turned his blaster on us, before I could react Khi-Tyn pushed me out of the way taking a bolt in the side. I could smell his burned skin as he slumped to the ground at me feet, the left side of his blue-body was charred. I don't remember moving but the next thing I knew I was blindly swinging my lightsaber at Xe'kor's head, even as he seemed to dodge my enraged swings effortlessly.

"Kradok," I heard Areeva scream and I turned my head to see her being swarmed by guards and I knew she was in trouble. I started to rush over to her when I felt Xe'kor's leg stick out to trip me, My face slammed onto the ground. I felt blood running from my nose and I looked up to see Xe'kor's cold red eyes gazing down on me, his blaster aimed right between my eyes, "Sweet dreams," he said as a smile split across his face. A blaster bolt came from the vents above and struck his hand with exquisite precision, a howl of pain erupted from Xe'kor as he crumbled to the ground holding his wounded hand.

"NOOO," Nidrass continued to shout, "Kill them now, Kill them, KIL…." He continued to rave when another blaster bolt came from the vents and seemed to explode even as it collided with Nidrass' face. He slumped over the hood of his terminal, dead.


	10. Showdown on the Docks

(_Showdown on the Docks_)

Li'Rinna watched from the vents as Areeva screamed and silently cursed her, not that she'd expected anything other than this to happen. Khi-Tyn had told her that her plan on the docks would end in with Nidrass's blood on the terminal, Xe'kor would walk away unscathed, and darkness would cloud the mind of the Jedi. The Weequay came pouring in through the doors and Areeva leaped at them twirling her lightsaber effortlessly through the air.

"She sure knows how to put on a show," Li'Rinna said squinting her eyes at the Twi-lek, "Too bad it's her last act."

Li'Rinna sighed as Kradok became distracted by Areeva's cry for help and Xe'kor got the better of him, she pulled out her blaster rifle and took aim, she knew Xe'kor would pause just long enough to say some final victorious line and then blow Kradok's head off. She shot straight for the blaster; it went flying from Xe'kor's hand as he crumbled to the floor. She'd hoped he'd gotten a thick pair of gloves. A wail erupted from Nidrass as he screamed at his guards even as Areeva cut them down. She knew there was no way he'd tell Kradok what she needed him to hear now, so she aimed right between his eyes and pulled the trigger.

* * *

As the bolt struck Nidrass face I turned my attention to the vents where the blaster shots were coming from and even though I couldn't see her I could feel Li'Rinna's presence through the force. I didn't know if she could see me but I hoped she could sense my gratitude. I glanced over to see that Areeva had overcome the swarm of Weequay guards that had been causing her trouble only moments before and I could sense both anger and relief pouring seething from her in waves. I quickly bent down and looked at the charred left side of Khi-Tyn's body; he seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness due to the intensity of the pain.

"You know if you'd been wearing clothes like Areeva and I have suggested multiple times this would've been much less severe," I tried to lighten the mood.

"Is not it unbecoming for a Jedi to say, 'I told you so'" Khi-Tyn retorted. His breathing was shallow and pain contorted his soft features but there was no doubt some semblance of a glint in his eyes.

I chuckled softly to myself as I thought of Cha'risma, she was exactly the kind of Jedi who would say 'I told you so', "Maybe, but I'm not a Jedi yet so it doesn't count," I replied smugly.

Khi-Tyn's eyes widened slightly as he grabbed my shoulders and rolled the two of us over with impeccable speed, briefly I wondered just how strong a connection Khi-Tyn had with the force. I glanced over and watched a blaster bolt fry the ground where I'd been kneeling a fraction of a second before. I swiveled my head to see Xe'kor had recovered from his injury but he was holding his blaster in his opposite hand and I surmised that while the gloves he was wearing would protect his hands from any permanent damage the pain must have been unbearable or at least enough to affect his aim.

I could feel spasms of pain radiate throughout Khi-Tyn's body from moving his injury to keep me from harm and I watched his eyes went blank and he passed out, I swiftly rolled him off of me and leapt up into fighting position. I momentarily wished Shi'ka and I had gone over lightsaber forms in our training more intently, I could still hear his words ringing in my ears, it was like he was standing right next to me and maybe he was. Maybe Master Teradid was reaching out with the force guiding me from across the stars, I prayed I was right.

"Your talent lies not with the blade," Shi'ka had said during our training under the waterfall outside the temple on Tython, I could almost feel the water beating down upon me like it had then, "but in your ability to bend the force with your will," he said as he knocked my saber from my hands and into the water, "as long as you trust in yourself and your own strength no opponent can best you in battle."

Xe'kor pulled out a second blaster, gripping it in his injured hand, I guessed even though it was a struggle for him to use it he figured two chances at hitting his target were better than one, and he opened fire. I barely had the time to deflect the barrage of bolts so strong they were pushing me back into the corner of the room, I was beginning to doubt whether or not I'd be able to maintain my grasp on my lightsaber. Ever bolt seemed determine to dislodge my grip and I knew it was only a matter of seconds before the blade would take flight and leave me defenseless.

"Let the force flow through you," I could hear Shi'ka saying, "trust in the force and you will succeed."

I opened myself up to the force and cast my lightsaber to the ground beside me. Xe'kor's onslaught of blaster fire seemed to hit a force field in front of me and ricochet in all directions. I saw the panic flash across his face and I could almost sense his thoughts, or more probably the emotional state of his mind, I could sense fear, and doubt, he believed he was going to lose. I was not about to disappoint him.

A dark presence seeped its way into the room and a chill washed over my warm body. My resolve faltered as darkness seemed to cloud in around me; none of the others seemed to notice. Areeva had completely dispatched the guards and Khi-Tyn was awake, they were both staring at me with awe and wonder, Xe'kor appeared to be growing more terrified by the second. There was a feeling surrounding me, emptiness, a sense of hatred and longing. Two dark hands seemed to come out from behind me and a grasp the sides of my face as a deep-seated hunger began to gnaw at my insides. A primal, bestial scream that reverberated along the walls filled my brain as Nihilus consumed my thoughts and desires, every fiber of my being urged for me to run from here, return to my ship, and… put on the mask.

"NO," I screamed at the top of my lungs as I collapsed to the ground, Shi'ka's calming presence had deserted me, in its stead was fire and darkness, an insatiable hunger, torturing my every sensation.

Even as I crumbled to the floor, anguish lit aflame in my soul I could still see Xe'kor, he wasn't aware what was happening in my head but he knew I was down so he seized the opportunity to take me out, I watched as he raised his blasters and knew there was nothing I could do to stop him. Something struck him from behind and Xe'kor fell forward his head slamming against the floor. Li'Rinna stood behind him, she'd obviously hit him with the butt of her blaster rifle in an attempt to render him unconscious. I thought she was successful.

"Khi-Tyn," Li'Rinna said nodding from him to me as she slunk over toward us stepping over Xe'kor's unconscious form on the floor.

I felt Khi-Tyn's warm hands on my face, they were like fire on my skin, I tried to shrug him off but was too weak, "Look into my eyes," his voice was soft in my ear, I didn't want to open my eyes for fear of everything else I would see but when I did all I could see was a bright orange light, and slowly the pain washed away and the hunger died down to an inaudible rumble in the back of my mind.

"Well isn't that romantic," Li'Rinna said mockingly her voice full of condescension and her usual seductive tones.

"Now," Li'Rinna said her voice becoming oddly serious as she turned to Areeva, "we have a score to settle."

"Don't you dare," Areeva bristled as she came to stand by my side. I became concerned that my best friend and the woman I owed my life to were about to kill each other.

"Now, now, now, Areeva, that's hardly the Jedi way," Li'Rinna mocked, her lips doing their strange circular seductive inflection, "and you wouldn't want anyone to doubt your convictions, now would you," Li'Rinna was about to say something else, even as Areeva was about to reach for her lightsaber, when a distinct sound pierced the air. A blaster shot. I watched as Li'Rinna crumpled to the ground and her eyes close, as steam fizzled off the back of her black armor coated cat suit. Xe'kor kneeled holding one blaster with both hands, he'd shot Li'Rinna at point blank range in the back.

Areeva's lightsaber was unhooked in a flash as she leapt through the air and had his blaster sliced in half in a split second. She took her foot and roundhouse kicked him across the room, he slid a few yards of his back after landing. She raised her blade and started toward him.

"We never take a life unless there is no alternative," Shi'ka's calming voice whistled in my ears, "Remember that." As Areeva raised her blade ready to deal the final blow I reached out with the force and grabbed hold of her weapon and sent it hurling with unmatched speed into the wall behind me.

"Why would you do that!" Areeva screamed at the top of her lungs

"We're Jedi Areeva, we don't kill people, we are keepers of the peace, not executioners."

"He's a member of the Genoharadan," she pointed at Xe'kor who was writhing in pain on the floor, "He'll never stop hunting us, hunting you, we have to take him out."

I stretched out with the force and used my healing abilities on Xe'kor's hand, I stood up and walked over to where he lie motionless on the ground and watched as the pain faded from his red eyes, "I know you have a job to do, and I know you'll come after me again, but know this, every time you strike you will fail, and every time you fall down I'll pull you up, I am a Jedi, and I will not kill, now leave this place and tell Drakkus to man up and come after me himself."

I pulled Xe'kor off the ground and he smiled a cold smile at me, "You didn't kill me this time, because you lacked motivation, the 'dagger in the back' if you will, but I predict that should we ever meet again, your behavior will be quite different," Xe'kor eyed all of us, his gaze lingering on Areeva first and then Li'Rinna, he laughed at something as he looked her and shook his head, and then he turned and left.

After Xe'kor left I went over to the terminal and moved Nidrass's body off onto the floor and crossed his arms in a way to honor the dead, I then stepped onto the terminal and began to copy the files, they were all encrypted of course but I was confident that 3C-FD would be able to decode them, I noticed that Areeva was standing over Li'Rinna's unconscious form, so I hastened the download and made my way over to them.

"Areeva, help Khi-Tyn back to the ship will you," I asked her as nicely as I could as I picked Li'Rinna off the floor and cradled her in my arms; I owed her so much today. Khi-Tyn leaned on Areeva for support and slowly the four of us made our way out.

* * *

"Rarsk must promise Ssravek that Rarsk get Jedi to help Clan," Ssravek gargled, the Jagganath point earned on Tython were no longer a worthy amount to please Scorekeeper, his warriors needed to be able to travel through space and seek worthy challenges, bring honor to Scorekeeper, but they had long since lost any means of interplanetary travel, means that only the Jedi possessed, "Must get Jedi to allow Clan to use star ships, Rarsk Clan need to bring greater honor to Scorekeeper."

"Rarsk understand," Rarsk nodded, "Rarsk will fight for Ssravek, fight for Clan, Rarsk will help all Clan bring great honor to Scorekeeper."

"Ssravek is glad, Rarsk have the Clan's approval to train as Jedi," Ssravek smiled, "Go earn many points, and earn your way back among your brothers, Ssravek live for day Rarsk return to us."

And with that Ssravek turned off the holochannel leaving Rarsk alone. He could hear 3C-FD tinkering below with the engine. Rarsk was excited when Kradok returned Rarsk would ask for his friend to train him in the ways of the force, of the Jedi, and he had little doubt his friend would say yes. In fact, Rarsk could smell Kradok now; Rarsk let a wide smile split his face. Suddenly, Rarsk was a little suspicious, he could smell Kradok, but he could also smell that he wasn't alone.


	11. Best of Friends

(_Best of Friends_)

After the Chiss slipped by Kordak on the promenade he and Ixodon vacated the premises. After all it wouldn't look good for either a Republic Trooper or an obviously imperial Chiss to be caught in all-out war in a neutral zone. During the last rain on mortar Kordak had accidentally blew the face and the hat off of the giant golden statue of Garagga the Hutt, and the Chiss used the fallen rubble to climb to the second story and escape because Kordak and Ixodon could easily cover the lower exits. They pursued him up to the next tier but just in time to see him driving away with no clue as to his destination.

Kordak sat in silence next to his Mirialan friend, "Kradok's alive."

"That's the third time you've said that in the last ten minutes," Ixodon said smug as ever as he kept his eyes on the sky lane, traffic on Nar Shaddaa was always heavy.

"I thought he was dead for so long," Kordok said. When he had returned home after the tide had turned on Iridonia he had found his home nothing but a smoldr on the ground and his brothers nowhere to be found, until a few hours ago he'd just assumed they had all been killed. But if Kradok was alive then there was hope that the others had survived as well. A thought Kordak did not dare say out loud, because speaking gave birth to hope and there was one thing enlisting in the republic military had taught him was to never hope, it just caused pain and distracted you from the task at hand, always assume the most likely outcome until other information is made available.

"You're going to go after him aren't you?" Ixodon asked, he wasn't in the mood to chase a Jedi across the galaxy.

"Affirmative," Kordak replied fixing his eyes on the road ahead.

* * *

"Is she going to be alright," I asked as I watched Khi-Tyn administer kolto to an unconscious Li'Rinna in the med-bay, She'd been largely unresponsive since we left the docks and her heartbeat was only a faint sound on the monitor.

"It doesn't look good," Khi-Tyn answered his voice calm as always even though his left side was charred from taking a direct hit with a blaster, "But Li'Rinna is stubborn, she'd die before she let her life end this anticlimactically," he smiled.

"That is not funny," I replied.

"Perhaps not," Khi-Tyn conceded, "But it is considerably amusing watching your expressions."

I glared at him for a long moment as I contemplated the best way to get back at him, "How's your burn?" I asked as I poked the charred side of his body with my index finger, Khi-Tyn jumped back into the medical equipment and everything clanked along the walls as his face contorted with shock and discomfort, I laughed, "Now that's funny."

"I see you were telling the truth before," Khi-Tyn mused as he regained his composure.

"Yes I was," I replied, "about what was I right before?"

"You are not a Jedi yet," He smiled and I briefly considered jabbing his injury a little more forcefully this time when 3C-FD rolled into the med-center beeping vehemently making sure we hadn't done any permanent damage to the equipment.

"Relax Threecee," I rolled my eyes at the little rust-colored astromech, I could feel the cold calling out to me from above, "Let me patch that up for you," I said turning to Khi-Tyn. I desperately needed something to distract me from the shadows waiting upstairs...

I carefully applied a kolto-infused gel to the burn the wrapped around Khi-Tyn's left side. As I delicately smeared the liquid over Khi-Tyn's injury I noticed that it was far more severe than I believed earlier, he must have been in excruciating pain since he was struck. I was suddenly consumed with guilt over having poked him before; I must have brought the pain he was trying so hard to mask to the forefront of his mind. I then withdrew some gauze from underneath the examination table, which would soon be doubling as a bed for one of our residents, and began to wrap them around the Voss.

"I'm sorry," I said as I finished.

"I know," Khi-Tyn answered with understanding.

"I should probably go check on Rarsk and Areeva…" I mumbled amidst the sudden awkwardness, "Make sure we're still on course…." I turned to leave as Li'Rinna's hand shot up and grabbed my wrist, I could tell there was something she wanted to say to me but she wasn't coherent enough to get the words out. Her heartbeat was pounding through the monitor as her lips twitched but no sound came out and as suddenly as she came to life she slipped back into sleep her hand hanging limply off of the table.

"Did I not tell you she was stubborn," Khi-Tyn said amusedly, "I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Be sure you do," I answered shaken. I turned and left the room quietly out into the hall, I needed a moment to clear my head and gather my thoughts.

I pressed my back against the cold metal casing of the hallway and stared at the ceiling. I could feel it calling me from above, the mask of Nihilus, the air around me was colder than it should be, out of my periphery, in the shadows of the engine room I could see him, Darth Nihilus, standing there, driving me away, forward, to the Mask. I was getting tired of resisting him. Something happened when I called on the force on the docks, a seal had come undone and now the dark lord was free to invade my thoughts at a whim. He was supposed to be dead, but he felt more real than anything. I could hear Areeva's and Rarsk's voices up the stairs and I knew I could drive his presence away if I was around them, there calming nature would purge him from my mind and I'd be free. Or at the least, I hoped it would let me escape.

"So I used the force to derail the rocket-tram and blew the back window out so I could escape," Areeva said, "and Commander Nargost and his cronies blew up along with the tram."

"Areeva fast on feet and in mind," Rarsk replied, "Rarsk just have attacked."

"That would've taken too much time and as I vehemently stated before I had a _very hot _date with a Resistance fighter…"

"Rarsk never abandon battle for _date_," Rarsk replied scornfully.

"Only because you can't get a date," Areeva shot back.

"Rarsk place honor above _urge_."

"And some people like to have a little fun from time to time," Areeva smirked, "let loose, like…"

"like Schutta?" Rarsk gargled and I sighed as I took the last couple of steps up the stairs. The two of them were leaning on the railing just outside cockpit, Areeva smiled widely when she saw me.

"You owe me a hundred republic credits," she said deviously.

"I know," I replied.

"Rarsk not follow."

"We had I bet on how long it would take you to call me a Schutta, I said it would be less than two hours, Kradok over there said it would take longer…"

I smiled sheepishly, "It was close though," I said remembering the time from the screen on the medical equipment, "In another four minutes I would have one."

Rarsk and Areeva burst out laughing simultaneously and I joined in a moment later. The three of us had not been together since Coruscant. While I checked on Li'Rinna Areeva and Rarsk caught each other up on what they'd been through since then. "So Areeva," I asked, "How was your date."

Areeva smiled, "Never date a Corellian Resistance Fighter, all they want to talk about is war, death, and politics, he didn't even tell me my lekku were sensuous…." Areeva put her hand to her head and looked away, every movement was tinged with syrupy drama.

"You must have been mortified," I said sardonically.

"Rarsk wish other Trandoshan thought Rarsk scales sensuous," Rarsk imitated Areeva's exaggeratedly woeful movements.

"Oh Rarsk I think your scales are sensuous, just you wait, a towering Tentaratek or a hairy Wookie will sweep you right up," Areeva pretended to console Rarsk as she patted his back.

"And burly Wampa will sweep Areeva off feet and to Icy cavern below," Rarsk and Areeva seemed to be swept up in their own wittiness.

"I'm sure you'll both be happy with your hairless Wookie and burly Wampa but when one of you gets the chance can you make sure we're still on course for Tatooine," I smiled and walked up into the main room, "Fuel's expensive you know."

"He means you, you know," Areeva said looking at Rarsk.

"Schutta's check course."

"Rarsk, why didn't you tell me you were a Schutta," Areeva retorted, "we can double-date!"

I was trying to suppress my laughter as I walked over to the holoterminal when a chill swept over my shoulders, I turned slightly and I could see him from the corner of my eyes standing in the doorway behind me. I was trapped between him and his mask. I fell to my knees in front of the Holoterminal; I could no longer hear Rarsk and Areeva, his voice echoed throughout the room. Suddenly I was on the floor in front of the ancillary cargo hold and I knew I could resist no longer.

Slowly, I reached inside the cargo hold and pulled the Mask of Hunger out, just having it in my hands drove the voice insane. I could feel him screaming in my ears and I drew the mask closer to my face. It was cold to the touch. I wondered briefly about after I put on the mask, would I be me, or him, would our minds wage war for control of my body or would I just cease to exist, what about the others, would they be safe, but my hands kept moving the mask toward my face.

A yellow lightsaber appeared between my face and the mask and Areeva's voice whispered in my ears, "Thanks for saving me the trouble of looking for it, now give me the Mask."

* * *

"So not only did you let the Jedi escape, but you got Nidrass killed," Drakkus said with a quiet fury over the holocomm Xe'kor held in front of him, "If I were you I'd start begging."

"I don't need to beg Drakkus," Xe'kor replied stoically, "Areeva got Nidrass killed because whe failed to inform us that Li'Rinna and Kradok were working together but she now has the chance to get the mask she so desperately wanted."

Xe'kor watched the different emotions flicker across the muscles in-between Drakkus's eyes; they were the only way you could tell what he was feeling when there wasn't an audience around. He was furious, and Xe'kor knew that even though he was partial to Areeva she would not be spared his wrath this time, especially not after her colossal failures on Tython and Coruscant she had now possibly botched a contract that wasn't even hers, the only way she could survive now was to return with the Mask of Hunger or Drakkus would kill her, he would have no choice.

"Does Kradok suspect her?" Drakkus asked.

"I shot Li'Rinna before she had the opportunity to divulge," Xe'kor grimaced slightly, that had not been part of his and Li'Rinna's arrangement, but he still needed to get the Mask and now the only one who could do that was Areeva. He hoped he'd made up for the backstabbing or back shooting in this case by making sure the shot would be far from fatal, just debilitating for a little while, "Should I precede to Tatooine as planned?"

"No," Drakkus growled and Xe'kor sensed that he had only bought himself a small amount of time. His life was now forfeited to Areeva's success or failure, "Teara should be able to handle Tatooine," Drakkus flashed Xe'kor his toothy smile and cut the comm.


	12. Areeva

(_Areeva_)

Areeva's yellow lightsaber buzzed just inches away from my throat as kneeled holding the mask of Hunger in my own personal cargo hold, "…You're a member of the Genoharadan," I felt all the blood drain from my face even as the words left my lips.

"I'm sorry Kradok but I need you to hand over that mask," I couldn't see her face but I could hear the cold difference in her voice, this was not the girl I'd befriended on Tython, my best friend, she wasn't here anymore.

"How long," I demanded in a low hushed tone.

"Just hand over the m…" she began.

"How. Long." I drew out each syllable. Something inside me was breaking as fire tore through my chest, my eyes were hot.

"I was born into this, my mother was one of the Genoharadan's top assassins, Alteava Ban, since I was old enough to hold a blaster I… this has always been my destiny," Areeva kept her voice at an even tone but underneath her sudden icy demeanor I could tell that she was beginning to falter in her resolve.

"So when you set me up with that Slicer Hal Ordoo you knew…" I wanted to hurl as suddenly everything that had happened since I came to the Jedi was suddenly distorted and everything that existed moments before was no longer true.

"That he was supposed to eliminate you, yes," she had sent Hal to meet me on the upper ring of Carrick Station to find out what I knew about the Genoharadan's aims, she pulled the strings that led to this moment. Areeva pulled her lightsaber back and dropped into a defensive position; her face was contorted in a mixture of pity and anger. Still on my knees I turned to face her and as my eyes met hers I knew that seeing my face had just made whatever she was going to do much harder.

"Why?" I held back the tears that were now stinging my eyes as I looked into hers. She had gone to great lengths to torture me she owed me an explanation.

"Because I couldn't do it!" she almost screamed as she plunged her saber into the beam closest to the entrance, she was both angry and glad at her failure, "I had so many chances, on Tython and Coruscant but I just couldn't do it."

"There was never a message from Master Denai… you lured me into the silent sun cantina so Li'Rinna could kidnap me… It was your voice… when I was coming to in the temple ruins it was you talking to Li'Rinna," Suddenly our entire trip to Coruscant was fresh in my mind, she'd been baiting me into a trap the entire time, she deceived Rarsk and me into an obvious trap.

"I'm sorry," tears began to fall slowly from her eyes and as I gazed into their depths I saw a truth that broke something inside of me and a single tear rolled down my cheek.

"You killed Master Denai…" I whispered in disbelief.

"I didn't have a choice when she came to rescue me she overheard me talking with Drakkus on the holo…" Areeva dropped her weapon and got down on her knees in front of me and she looked into my eyes with deep sadness that I refused to acknowledge as real, "she was going to put all the pieces together and our plans would have been ruined; don't you understand Drakkus didn't give me a way out."

"all of the pieces…" I bristled with anger as I realized just what she had done, "you summoned the Terentatek, you killed all those Jedi on Tython…you summoned it to kill me, that's why you didn't show me where the temple was and you ran away so you could feed me to it!" I shouted as I rose to my feet.

"It was my job!" she responded with equal fury as she stood between me and the exit that would lead me to a more open battleground, "I was supposed to cripple the order's new recruits and keep them from extending their teachings to a new generation."

"and you poisoned Master Denai so she couldn't come and help us; you tried to feed that monster me and Rarsk at the forge…" everything I'd believed in was a lie. Areeva was a lie. I could feel the rage contorting my features.

"I've done much worse to countless others; I know my crimes are unforgiveable," she placed her hands on my shoulders and she tried to calm me. As much as I wanted to believe whatever excuse she was going to come up I wasn't going to be able to let what she'd done go unpunished.

"You were my best friend…" I put the emphasis on were as the tears that burned my eyes fell slowly to the floor.

"Just… hand me the mask and I'll leave, you'll never have to see my face again… and I won't have to hurt you…" she held her hand out for me to give her the mask. But anger inside of me told me to put the mask on and let loose the darkness that would give me the power to punish her.

"There's nothing worse you can do to me than what you already have Areeva," I resisted the temptation and shoved her hand away as I clutched the mask in the other.

"Please I need you to understand that this is my life;" she touched her hands to her heart she her head in anger and a deep sorrow screamed at me from her eyes, she regretted what was happening between us, but there was no turning the cock back, "It wasn't something I had a choice in," she was pleading with me to believe her.

"If that's what you need to tell yourself to justify what you did fine; but don't expect me to understand what you've done to me," my tone was even and icy. There was only one way out of this.

"This wasn't about you," she gaped as if she couldn't believe I'd turned her sob story around on her.

"Yes it was!" I yelled, "From the moment I landed on Tython this has been about me!" because she and the Genoharadan made it about me, I could have had a normal life as a Jedi and lived in peace but they destroyed those dreams, they'd made me lie to my Master and do things the order would punish me for, "And how dare you stand there and tell me to understand, you've ruined my life, and nothing you can say is going to make up for what you've done."

"Please… just give me the mask…" she almost whispered as she made a final desperate plea for the mask.

"No, you'll have to pry it from my fingers." I drew my weapon.

"…So be it…" a sadness echoed in her every word as she grabbed her lightsabers. I pushed her with the force back into the training room and leapt through the air after her. Rage dictated my every move that she parried with a quiet intensity that. I used the force to rip the couch off the ground and hurl it at her and I followed it on the current of the force. She met me midair and spin kicked me backwards. I landed loudly on the Holoterminal. The mask of hunger fell from my hand to the floor with a light thud as a dull pain shot across my back as Areeva placed her lightsabers in a x pattern over my throat, "I'm sorry…." Tears fell from her eyes onto my face, but her words fell on hollow ears. Areeva closed her eyes and resigned herself to what she had to do when a powerful force entered the room and Areeva was force thrown face first into the miniature archives Denai had stored on the ship.

"You not harm Rarsk best friend." Rarsk growled as her spun his saberstaff rapidly in circles and slowly entered the room, he knew he was more than Areeva's physical match but she would best him in force power and there was no telling what other tricks she had lying in wait.

"Down Rarsk," Areeva replied, her chilly façade back in place as she stood up and turned around slowly and drew her sabers up into the offensive shien form, "you don't have the skill to beat me."

"Areeva Assassin! Have no honor!" Rarsk crouched down as he leapt through the air. His saberstaff met Areeva's blade and was split down the middle leaving Rarsk defenseless. Areeva grabbed his head and pulled it down onto her knee with massive force.

"Don't tell me about myself," Areeva said angrily as she through an unconscious Rarsk on top of me, "I know who I am."

Areeva used the force to send the mask of hunger flying across the room into her hands and she proceeded to walk down the stair out of the room. I drew on what strength I had left as I was barely holding on to my own consciousness and rolled Rarsk off of me and then rolled my body onto the floor. I could hear the distinct hum of a loudly charged blaster not too far off as I forced all the strength in my body into standing up. I walked over to the wall and used it as support to continue to the doorway even as I heard Li'Rinna.

"You didn't think I was just going to let you walk away did you Ban," Li'Rinna stood at the top of the stairs that went below deck her blaster pistol was trained expertly on Areeva, Khi-Tyn the Voss stood at just behind her as they stared Areeva down.

"Li'Rinna?" Areeva sounded a little surprised as she reached for her saber with her free hand, "I thought Xe'kor's blast would have you down for at least a few days,"

"Guess his aim ain't what it used to be," Li'Rinna lips formed an unusual smirk that I was beginning to think might be a Chiss thing.

I looked down from the training room as Areeva drew her blade while holding the mask in her offhand, "Stand aside and I won't have to put you down."

"I don't think so," Li'Rinna placed her offhand on the blaster and she steadied herself, Xe'kor's blaster shot had done more damage than she let on, "you see I've been looking forward to this moment. You framed me for the murder of a Jedi and through me out of the only home I've- ...well only other home I've ever known, did you really think I'm just going to let you walk out of here," her desire for vengeance outweighed her desire for self-preservation.

"Please," Areeva chuckled, "Drakkus through you out, you failed to kill to terminate your target and you gave him just enough crumbs to send him along our trail, you're lucky I wasn't there when he tried to kill you or you would have never gotten out alive," I could tell that Areeva and Li'Rinna had deep-seated hatred between them, and then I remember their conversation while I was coming to in the temple, they were exactly friends then.

"I am sorry we didn't know telling Drakkus that the Jedi would find the mask would do this to you Li'Rinna," Khi-Tyn remained perfectly calm, he stood there just as mostly naked as ever and was perfectly at ease.

"Its alright Khi," Li'Rinna smirked, "you've more than made up for it," I wondered what she meant as I began to draw on the force to replenish my strength.

"Khi-Tyn," Areeva turned her menacing attention to the Voss, "Drakkus is going to be very happy when I return with both you and the mask, but I suspect he won't give you quite the freedom he did before."

"That is not the outcome I have foreseen;" Khi-Tyn smiled softly as his orange eyes stared back at her with quiet serenity, he wasn't worried in the slightest, "You hid yourself well Areeva, I was not able to see you clearly until just now," even though Khi-Tyn was the Genoharadan conduit I was suddenly aware of just how bad they must have treated him and that he probably only ever saw one or two of the assassin's assigned to handle him, "you may have the mask but that's all you're going to get enjoy what little time you have with it," that last part sounded ominous.

Areeva through her hand with the mask forward and force pushed the two of them down the stair below deck, "Bet you didn't see that," she mocked as she headed down after them.

"leave them alone!" I used what little energy I had left to jump Areeva from behind and we rolled down the stairs only for her to grab my hair and pound my face onto the grates.

"Stay down Kradok!" She yelled as she resigned herself to what she had to do. Areeva swung her lightsaber through the air and into the engine room destroying the engine. I could tell that the ship had dropped out of hyperspace and was now blindly plunging through space. The explosion had set most of the engine room ablaze and the heat around us was unbearable.

Li'Rinna rose to her feet and leaned against the wall by the medbay for support and her lips twitched into a smile, "the Trandoshan was right, you are a Schutta."

Areeva's face took on a look of utter fury as she grabbed her other lightsaber and ignited before moving in for the kill, "and you're just an alderaanian handmaiden who in the end didn't amount to much other than a whore," Areeva took great joy in what she was about to do, "Good riddance."

"No!" before Areeva could slice Li'Rinna's head off with her lightsaber I recalled her other blade from the wreckage of the engine room and plunged the saber through her lower back out through her stomach and a surprised shout emerged from her lips as her own blade dropped to floor and switched off. She placed her free hand to her wound as she walked over to the other wall and slumped against it, her breathing was shallow and sweat beaded across torso, "Areeva… I… I…"

"So this is how it ends…" she mused as her breathing became labored, the heat in the room was more intense than ever, "stabbed in the back… Its rather poetic don't you think?" she smiled resignedly.

"I didn't mean to… Areeva I…" I was at a loss for words, all the rage I'd felt before seemed to evaporate as I looked at the girl who an hour ago had been my best friend in the world as she lay their dying.

"Sorry Kradok…" Areeva panted as she opened the door to the escape pod, "Assassins are meant to die alone," Areeva stepped inside the pod with the mask of hunger in her hand an fell to the ground, she looked back at me and smiled as tears began to well up in her eyes, "You'll always be my best friend," the door closed and the pod jettisoned away from the ship. Areeva was gone.

I don't know how long I stared at the place where Areeva had just been. It felt like hours but it could have only been a few seconds, "Beet Breeeepp Beeep beep!" I could hear 3C-FD wailing from the cargo hold.

Khi-Tyn, the only one of us who seemed to have any strength left of any of us pulled me up off the ground and helped me into the cargo hold, "We're going to crash full-force into tatooine…" he said as he strapped strapped me into a chair. Li'Rinna stumbled in behind us. Khi-Tyn must have seen all of this, that's why he was so calm when dealing with Areeva, he knew we would be fine, but she would not.

As we broke the planets atmosphere I wondered if she was still alive and what was going through her mind, I knew that she was alone and no longer had a friend in the world, and I cried as I prayed that she knew what I was going to say, "Areeva… I'm sorry."

* * *

Teara turned her blaster on the last of the Tusken Raiders they'd found in Jundaland. He sped toward Gaffi stick raised for the kill blow as a primal howl screeched out of his mouth piece. Teara pulled the trigger and her opponent fell lifeless onto the sands that were his home and now permanent resting place. She smiled with the certainty of her victory and turned to her pink Twi-lek mate who was pacing up slowly behind her, "So that makes it what seven to three?"

"Seven to four," he insisted as crossed his arms. He hated the heat and now he was stuck here indefinitely on tatooine to until their target showed up and he was beginning to doubt that he would.

"Uh uh Jhaller," Teara corrected him as she pointed to one of the various sand people corpses around him, "I was about to deliver the kill shot when you sniped him," she folded her arms and looked down at the Twi-lek, "and what did I tell you about poaching my kills?"

"Guess I'm in for it tonight," Jhaller sighed resigned, "But I wouldn't be so trigger happy if that damned Jedi would finally show up!"

"Drakkus says he'll be here, he'll be here, so quit whining and find me something to shoot," Teara retorted.

"Even if he did show up we'd never find him," Jhaller mocked, even he knew she'd have a hard time questioning that, but now he was probably going to be in more trouble later. This was not going to be his night.

A Jedi starship came speeding across the sky above them. One of the engines looked to be on fire from the outside as the ship plunged deep into the south of Jundaland with a resounding shockwave that sent Jhaller flying through the air and face first into the sand.

Teara rolled her Twi-lek partner over and stared down at him with a smirk on red face. Jhaller looked up at her rather ominous looking Zabrak horns as she said, "Now, what were you just saying?"


	13. Stranded

(_Stranded_)

A clicking sound was emanating from inside the anchorhead spaceport. Drakkan waited silently outside the spaceport. He was to meet her here and together they would scour the dunes for the Jedi named Kradok. The clicking grew louder and began to echo across the exterior of the spaceport as a single pair of light brown heels appeared in the shadows of the doorway. Drakkan smirked. She had finally arrived. A Jedi female in form fitting robes that accentuated everything that most Jedi shy away from stepped out into the harsh Tatooine light. Her long flowing brunette hair was tied tightly in a braid behind her neck and she crossed the sands to the building where Drakkan awaited.

"Drakkan, it's nice to see you again," Cha'risma said as she smiled lightly. She looked carefully at her fellow Jedi. He was a Cathar, with dark almost black fur and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed rather plainly in regular Jedi robes, and he had piercing blue eyes, and in their depths a darker nature was concealed.

"I thought I mentioned earlier that heels and sand don't go together," Drakkan replied.

"True enough, but a girl likes to make an entrance," Cha'risma retorted. When she heard from her Master that Kradok's ship had ceased transmitting, she felt her heart break. Though she hadn't known him long and they didn't exactly get along she thought very highly of him and counted him among her closest friends. So when Drakkan met her on Telos IV and told her that Kradok was still alive that his ship had merely crashed and he was now stuck somewhere on Tatooine she had left her home immediately. She was going to rescue her friend.

"That's hardly a Jedi's way of looking at things," Drakkan chuckled in response.

"Well, I'm not a Jedi yet, and haven't you heard it's rude not to compliment a ladies clothes," she retorted. Even here in Anchorhead she could vaguely feel Kradok through the force, she smiled, she was going to save him.

"Then consider me rude," Drakkan answered shortly, and he watched as Cha'risma turned and headed back toward the spaceport, "Where are you going?"

"I have to change clothes if we're going out into the dunes to search for Kradok," she replied.

Drakkan blinked, "And why weren't you wearing them to start with," he growled.

Cha'risma turned back and looked Drakkan in the eyes, "First impressions are everything," and she turned and walked back into the spaceport while Drakkan slammed his fist into a wall.

* * *

Our practice sabers struck and buzzed loudly at the contact. Rarsk had far greater physical strength that I did, but my connection with the force was more potent than his and I had been training for a far longer time period. When we crashed on Tatooine all of us were knocked unconscious except for Khi-Tyn for had seemed to know precisely where to stand to avoid being. Rarsk managed to shove me backwards against the wall in the training room, but being smaller and more agile I was able to dodge under his saber hand and get behind him. The ship had crashed not far from an Imperial controlled town called Mos Ila, so when people came to investigate the crash Li'Rinna had represented us while hid out in the cargo hold. The ship itself had been badly damaged fortunately the Jawa's that had come to scavenge our ships for parts agreed to help us repair the ship. And over the last several weeks we had slowly and haphazardly repaired everything but the hyperdrive. I placed my training saber at the base of Rarsk's neck but dropped down and kicked me back onto the Holoterminal and suddenly I could see Areeva's tear stained face as she made the exact same move.

"Is Kradok okay?" Rarsk asked as he reached his hand out to me.

"I'm fine Rarsk," I replied as he pulled me up off the Holoterminal, "you've really come a long way in saber training," I had been shocked when during repairs Rarsk asked me to train him to be a jedi, I told him that I was no Master but I could teach him the basics until we returned to Tython, he wasn't happy about that but agreed, and for the last two weeks we'd done all sorts of simulated saber combat and force related exercises. I wanted to see just how strong Rarsk was in the force.

"Rarsk honored Kradok think so," he smiled, I was never going to get used to seeing all those teeth.

"Here," I said as I went into my personal locker and pulled out the lightsaber Areeva had left behind, and I briefly felt a sharp pain in my chest, then I turned and tossed the saber to Rarsk, "I think it's time you had a lightsaber of your very own."

"Rarsk treasure this;" Rarsk looked sadly down at the saber as he smiled, Areeva had been his friend too and her betrayal cut deep, "and honor its memory."

I turned over to the doorway where Li'Rinna had stood and watched our saber practice with an amused smirk on her face as she puckered those obnoxious lips of hers, "Li'Rinna, you want to join us?"

"Not really," she said as she stepped into the room and in the distance I could hear 3C-FD beeping about something, "I'm having far too much fun watching scales throw you around."

"Maybe Chiss should face Rarsk and see how she fair," Rarsk threatened, despite my best efforts I couldn't get Rarsk and Li'Rinna to get along, they just refused to try, every day it ws just constant barbs back and forth to each other.

"You really want to try your luck with me Scales?" Li'Rinna smiled broadly as she strutted over to us and ran her fingers over Rarsk's chest, "Cause I can guarantee it'd be the fight of your life."

"Alright," I pushed them apart with my hands before Rarsk could attack her, "both of you to your corners, I'd rather the two of you not kill each other."

"We don't need Schutta, Kradok and Rarsk good team as is," Rarsk answered as he stocked off to the other side of the room putting the holoterminal between him and Li'Rinna.

"I told you Rarsk," I replied, "I owe her," she had saved my life on Nar Shaddaa and helped me win my fight with Areeva even if I did lose the mask, and I told her she could stay with us as long as she liked as payment.

"So don't get any ideas of throwing me out scales," she mocked and then did one of her weird lips movements that I guess was supposed to be seductive, "I'd really hate to shame you in front of your Master," At that point Rarsk dropped into a crouch as he prepared to attack.

"Rarsk! Let me handle it," I commanded him and I turned to her, "Li'Rinna, Rarsk is my friend not my slave and you owe me too so try and be nice to him," and she got a rather annoyed look on her face.

"Give them time Kradok," Khi-Tyn said as he and 3C-FD rolled into the training room, the two of them had been almost inseparable since Khi-Tyn reconstructed the astromech after the crash, they were always together, "in time Li'Rinna and the Trandoshan will warm up to each other."

"Why is blue man still naked," Rarsk complained.

"Because I've found I like it that way," Khi-Tyn responded, but I had convinced him to put on the outmost layer of robes so he was at least partially covered.

"At least you've put something on," I sighed.

"I know that look Khi, what'd you see?" Li'Rinna strutted over to his side and placed her hand suggestively on his chest.

"The Genoharadan will find the Lightsaber of Pain in three days in a cavern underneath the bones of a Krayt Dragon," Khi-Tyn replied.

"Mask of Hunger, Lightsaber of Pain, what're these guys doing," the information we'd downloaded from the Chevin computer had given us a detailed description of the conglomerates and the Genoharadan's search on Tatooine and what they were looking for but failed to provide anything on what their overall aim was.

"The Genoharadan is hunting for three ancient artifacts belonging to the Sith Triumvirate that terrorized the galaxy about three-hundred years ago," Li'Rinna replied cheekily as she strolled across the room.

"Why?" It sounded like they were trying to do something serious.

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask Drakkus that, he never told us why we were suddenly on a scavenger hunt instead of taking out guys like you?" she smirked as she sunk onto the couch that we'd recently repaired.

"Though you sure did a fair amount of that Li'Rinna, Khi-Tyn do you know?" I replied amusedly before turning my attention to the Voss.

"My vision is blocked, I do know that the Genoharadan has already retrieved the Holocron of Betrayal from and they are after the last piece here on Tatooine," Khi-Tyn answered.

"Holocron of Betrayal? That's ominous sounding?" but it wouldn't matter if we couldn't get off planet or stop them for getting the lightsaber.

"Rarsk and Kradok together defeat any weapon," Rarsk gargled.

"Beep beep breeet dwoooooo" 3C-FD chimed in, he sure was a useful little droid.

"Thanks Threecee," I smiled.

"I don't speak droid," Li'Rinna responed as she crossed her legs and began to file her nails.

"Threecee has downloaded the map of the Genoharadan search area that the Chevin had onto our holocommunicators so we'll be able to track the saber at all times," it would also help keep us on the right track in the desert sands of Tatooine.

"Rarsk and Kradok be back soon," Rarsk tossed his saber into the air but he overshot it and had to leap across the Holoterminal to catch it before it hit the ground. Li'Rinna burst out laughing.

"Actually Rarsk," I responed, "Khi-Tyn and I will be going this time," I would need Khi-Tyn's vision to keep us out of trouble and alert me to any changes in the Genoharadan operation.

"Rarsk not understand," he looked really disappointed and I felt bad for leaving him behind, again.

"We still need that new hyperdrive and I want you to see that nothing goes wrong while I'm away," if the Imperials tried to take the ship, Li'Rinna wouldn't be able to hold them all off, and Rarsk would take no nonsense when the Toytarian arrived with the hyperdrive.

"Rarsk understand," he nodded with understanding, "he will watch Schutta for you."

"That's not what I…" I started but then observed Rarsk's smirk towards Li'Rinna and decided that if he felt it was necessary then I wouldn't argue, "Yes Rarsk, that will be fine."

"Shall we?" Khi-Tyn smirked as we descended the stairs, and I was suddenly very uncomfortable and I wondered if he'd planned this.

* * *

Drakkus waited alone in his chambers as he turned on the holoterminal and the image of a blonde Miraluka woman sprang to life. Her hair was pulled into a semi-braid that hung loosely off the back of her head. Even though Drakkus knew she couldn't actually see him, he could feel her staring at him a dark smile etched on her face, "My lady Helba, I have good news" he said.

"You have retrieved the Mask of Hunger from the Jedi," she said in a flat yet entrancing monotone and smiled as she clutched her double-ended war blade leaning it away from her body as she looked down on Drakkus, "I was beginning to lose confidence in you."

"I hope I can lay your doubts to re…" Drakkus started.

"But you've lost so many expert assassin's to one Jedi," Helba interrupted, "the Chiss Seductress has joined forces with him, the Rodian Slicer drowned in an irrigation system, and the Twi-lek Jedi has fallen now too, all defeated by a Padawan learner, not to mention the loss of the conduit on Nar Shaddaa and that Drakkus does _not_ inspire confidence."

"We will kill the Jedi on Tatooine Mistress, I have my best…" Drakkus started again.

"It's clear to me by now Drakkus that your best just isn't good enough," Helba smiled, "I have sent my own assassin and apprentice to Tatooine, I hope your man enjoys competition," the holoterminal cut off leaving Drakkus standing alone listening to the icy wind howl outside.


End file.
